A Little Bit of Magic, A Lot of Chocolate
by Fan-of-Insert-Sues
Summary: Take a large chocolate factory, an eccentric Chocolatier, five Golden Ticket winners and their family members. Throw it all together and it makes a great story. Throwing a witch in the mix? Well that makes a different story altogether.
1. Chapter 1

(A/n) I've watched the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, both the old and new versions. I've read the book and a lot of the fan fictions in this section. This story has been slowly coming together over the past month and I don't think there is another one like it. If there is, oh well. -=shrugs=-

It's a cross over of sorts with Harry Potter. I'm not using any of the characters from the HP books but I am using a lot of terms, references and other such things to do with the HP world.

So on that note, I do not own anything belonging to the world of Harry Potter, those rights belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Inc. I do not own anything belonging to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the movies or book, those rights belong to Roald Dahl. I did create the original characters though so I guess that would belong to me… whatever it's only a fan fic.

If you like the idea of this story let me know! XD

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Chapter One

There was not much to say about the Bucket family. They were not rich or powerful or well connected, in fact they barely had enough to eat. They lived on the edge of a fairly large town in a small, ramshackle house that looked as if it would fall apart at any given moment. The family consisted of seven members living altogether in this small home and there was hardly enough room for all of them to live comfortably.

There were four grandparents that rested, day in and day out, in the only proper bed in the entire house. Grandpa Joe Bucket and Grandma Josephina Bucket, who were the mother and father of Jonathan Bucket. Grandpa George Coiner and Grandma Georgina Coiner, who were the mother and father of Eliza Bucket. Mr. and Mrs. Bucket were the proud parents of a young boy named Charlie Bucket. Altogether they were the Bucket family and though they did not have much, they still found joy in the small blessings that they were given.

Now Mr. Bucket was the only member of the family who worked a full time job. His job was at the local toothpaste factory and he screwed the caps onto the tubes of toothpaste. The hours were long and the pay was terrible. No matter how much overtime he would work, he could never make enough to even buy one half of the things that his family needed. Mrs. Bucket tried her best to help her husband but there wasn't much that a wife could do when she had four bedridden people and a young child to care for. It was especially hard when all the family had to eat was bread and margarine for breakfast and cabbage soup for lunch and dinner.

Life for the Bucket family was not easy and Mrs. Bucket worried so much about her family that, while her husband was at work and her child at school, she would cry. She cried while hanging the laundry outside, that way her parents and her in-laws would not hear her. She wished and wished that some change would come, something wonderful to bring around their luck. She would stare at the sky at that moment then and wipe the tears from her eyes, feeling much better now that she had cried her worries away. She would remind herself that their life was not all that bad and it always got better.

For you see, Christmas was fast approaching and when the holidays came around, Eliza Bucket would look forward to the one person who always came to visit the Bucket Family. Eliza's mother, Georgina, was born the younger of two children. The older sibling was named Nathaniel Prewett and he had two children of his own. One of those children, Eliza's cousin, would come to visit the family every single year on Christmas.

In fact, that was why Eliza Bucket stood outside by the laundry line now, folding up fresh sheets and placing them in a basket by her feet. Every moment or so, she would glance around at the empty, snow covered yard, the look in her hazel eyes expectant, almost anxious. Her cousin was not what one considered normal and Eliza was rather glad that her husband was working and her child at school. She would have had a hard time explaining to Jonathan as to how exactly her cousin had arrived so quickly and… so unexpectedly.

It was as she was leaning down to place the last of the folded sheets into the basket that she heard a distinct popping noise a little off to her left. Glancing up in surprise, Eliza Bucket brushed the dark brown hair from her eyes and slowly straightened. A woman stood several feet away in a spot where but a moment a go she was not. She was definitely a sight that you did not see everyday. She was dressed in a black traveling cloak, beneath that one could see deep blue robes, the hem of which brushed the tips of her booted toes. Her hair was long and straight, the color could best be described as a coppery brown.

The smile that played on her pretty face was nothing short of pure joy as she set the bags that she had been carrying down onto the ground. She carried in one hand a piece of stick that was highly polished and very smooth, something that would have been very strange to see indeed. Why in the world was this woman dressed in robes and carrying a stick? As a matter of fact, how had she appeared so suddenly? Those would have been the questions a normal person would have asked. Mrs. Bucket did not ask these questions, she did not even find the sudden sight of the woman standing in her yard to even be the least bit strange.

Instead, Eliza Bucket returned the smile that the woman gave and held out her arms in welcome. "Verity!" She cried and ran toward the woman, wrapping her in a tight hug.

Verity Prewett smiled at her cousin and returned the hug, being careful not to aim the wand at her cousin. "Happy Christmas Eliza… I hope you don't mind that I came a little early this year."

Eliza laughed a little as she brushed a few tears from her eyes. "No, no I don't mind at all." She pulled away from her cousin and took a good look at her. "I'm so happy that you're here."

Verity smiled a little more as she placed her wand away within the folds of her robes. Her own hazel eyes were sparkling with happiness as the two women gazed at one another. One could see that there was indeed a faint resemblance between them, especially since they bore the same hazel eyes. It would have been strange to most people to have a witch in the family but not to Eliza Bucket. After all, Verity was her cousin and having a witch for a cousin made life a little more interesting. The only thing was, Eliza had no idea just how interesting life was going to get for her and her family, especially for her cousin Verity Prewett...


	2. Chapter 2

(A/n) I'm just writing this for some odd reason... -=shrugs=-

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Chapter Two

The witch took a good look at her cousin and the smile fell from her face, her hazel eyes traveling over the worn clothes that hung from her cousin's petite frame. "Lizzie, you're skin and bones." When Eliza said nothing in response, Verity sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping. "Why didn't you tell me things were getting more difficult? I would have sent money to you."

"That's exactly why I didn't tell you." Eliza wrapped her worn coat more tightly around her, her short, dark brown hair brushing along her jaw line. "You know how Jonathan can be and besides we're managing."

"Just barely by the looks of it," Another sigh slipped passed her lips and she reached up to brush a lock of hair from her face. "Oh Lizzie, I hate that I can't do more for you and the family…"

"I understand but we don't want you to get in trouble just for our sake." Eliza smiled sadly while she watched Verity gather her bags. Her smile faded a little when she noticed that her cousin was about to turn and walk away. "Vee, where are you going?"

Verity glanced back at her cousin and gave an even smile. "I'm going to check into an inn and then I'm going grocery shopping."

"But-."

"I'll see you later love." Verity ignored her cousin's protest as she turned on her heel and continued on her way down to the dirt road that led into town. Eliza watched her cousin walk away and a warm feeling settled in her heart. There were no "ifs", "ands", or "buts" when it came to Verity and Eliza could not help but feel a great deal better at the thought that there was going to be a wonderful dinner tonight.

--

Verity set her bags down on her bed and sighed heavily. She had just checked into the only wizarding inn located in this town, known as the _Sleepy Owl_. It was a small tavern cleverly hidden from Muggle eyes between a candy shop and a newspaper and stationary store on Cherry Street. Her room was a fairly small but comfortable enough for her needs. It had only a single window that faced the tiny, walled courtyard behind the pub.

She started to unpack, her clothing consisted more of Muggle styles rather than Wizards' robes. Her cousin's family did not know that she was a witch so she had learned a long time ago that in order to avoid any suspicion she had to dress like a proper Muggle. You might be wondering why a witch like Verity would even bother staying in contact with her Muggle cousin. Well, it began with her Aunt Georgina, who had been born to magical parents. Unfortunately for Georgina, she had never developed that latent magical ability that even her older brother Nathaniel possessed and she was gently pushed toward the Muggle world, where she could live with little prejudice.

Georgina had grown up and lived her life, losing contact with her magical family. She fell in love and married a Muggle by the name of George Coiner and had a child of her own, Eliza. It wasn't until years later that a teenage girl had shown up on her doorstep, wearing Muggle clothing that was inside out. She had declared herself to be the daughter of the wizard brother that Georgina had not spoken to in years and had tracked down the aunt that she had never known to try and close that family gap. Needless to say, it had been a rather teary meeting and Verity had remained close with her aunt and cousin ever since.

Family history aside, Verity was worried about the here and now. Her cousin's family was struggling to survive and there was little that she could do to help, especially since Eliza and her husband absolutely refused to accept her help in the first place. Christmas was the one true time in which she could take leave away from her job at a wizarding sweets shop and come out here to visit her father's estranged sister and niece. She could give gifts and help them without there being a word of protest but that was as far as they would allow it to go.

Verity knew that the economy for the Muggles was having some trouble and it seemed to be affecting this town even worse than other places. Perhaps it was because there were so many people who were unemployed now. What made it even more puzzling was the fact that there was a large factory in the middle of this town that churned out all kinds of odd chocolate and candy and yet not one Muggle in this town was ever seen coming in or out of that place. It was locked down tightly and the only sign that the factory was alive was given to fact that smoke rose out of the chimneys.

Now a large factory such as that one should have some workers going on about the place but no one knew who they were, not even the few wizards and witches who lived in this town. The only thing that was known about this factory was that it was owned by a man named Willy Wonka and he was responsible for the most incredible candy confections ever created in the Muggle world. No one knew anything about him or knew what he even looked like. He had not been seen by the public in over a decade. Though Verity shouldn't have been so concerned over the goings on of the Muggle world even she had to admit that she was curious about the goings on of that strange chocolate factory.

Verity had changed from her robes into a pair of worn jeans and a thick, beige sweater. She brushed her hair back and threw on her only Muggle coat. She stuck her wand carefully in a special pocket on the inside of her coat before grabbing her bag and leaving the room. She made her way downstairs to the bar area of the inn, waving to the old wizarding couple who owned the place, before she walked outside.

Once she closed the door, she found herself standing on the snow covered sidewalk of Cherry Street. A few Muggles passed by but did not give her sudden appearance a second glance. One might have thought she had either left the newspaper store or the candy store. They were too busy going about their own business to notice the woman that stood in front of a brick wall.

Sticking her hands into the pockets of her coat, she turned and made her way down through the streets to the grocery store that was located on the main road of town. She had already exchanged some wizarding money for muggle currency before leaving her home. She had done enough shopping for her cousin's family in the past to find her way around muggle stores. She wished she was able to do more for her cousin but wizarding laws were incredibly strict and Eliza was not going to happy with the thought that Verity had breeched those laws on account of her family.

Sighing heavily at the difficulty of it all, Verity trudged her way through the snowy sidewalks and streets until she reached the main road. Off in the distance, the large chocolate factory billowed thick grey smoke into the chilly, winter air. Verity paused at the sight of it, a sudden feeling of foreboding making her shiver. There was something not quite right about that place and even she, as a witch, could feel it. Exactly what that was she had no idea and truth be told, she didn't really want to find out.

Ignoring the honks of the cars, she walked straight across the main road to the grocery store. She started going over a mental list of items that the family was in need of. There was so much that they needed but Verity could only get away with giving them the bare necessities. Eliza refused to take anything more than that. Her heart growing heavy, she entered the muggle shop and grabbed the nearest shopping cart…


	3. Chapter 3

(A/n) Woosh! Here is the next chapter! :D

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Chapter 3

When Charlie Bucket had arrived home from school that day, he was greeted by the most incredible smells that had ever touched his young nostrils. He slowly closed the front door, his eyes taking in the sight of his mother stirring something in the big pot. It wasn't cabbage soup.

"Well, well, look whose home?"

Charlie dropped his backpack by the door, his chocolate brown eyes moving over to catch sight of the woman who was slicing fresh carrots on the tiny kitchen table. She flashed a bright smile as she set her knife aside and wiped her hands on the scrap of cloth that she used as an apron.

"Now who can this handsome young man be?" The woman laughed gently as she moved around the table and placed her hands on her hips. "This can't be my cousin Charlie… You are much too grown up."

Charlie smiled at the woman and ran over to her, wrapping his small arms around her waist. "Cousin Verity!"

Verity stumbled back from the unexpected hug but she laughed and wrapped her arms around her young cousin. Oh Merlin's beard, the child was so skinny… Ignoring the pangs of sympathy that stabbed at her heart, Verity pulled away from the boy and ran a hand over his dark brown hair. "I'm happy to see you too. Now get out of that wet coat and get comfortable. Your mum and I are getting dinner ready." She smiled a little as she went back to the tiny table to finish cutting the carrots.

Charlie pulled off his this coat and hung it on a peg by the door before he went to greet his grandparents. The elderly grandparents seemed to come alive when their only grandson came to visit them. Most of the time they would sit and rest, doing very little in order to conserve the energy that they had. However, the moment that Charlie came home, all four of the grandparents would sit up with bright smiles on their wrinkled faces. And it was then that the talking would begin. The grandparents had so many stories that they told to their only grandson and Charlie would sit and listen.

Today was no different and as the hum of elderly voices emerged from the grandparents' room, Verity could not help but smile at the love and warmth. This was why she made the effort to visit every year, the deep love that this family held for one another was like nothing else in the world. It was something that she could not help but envy Eliza for. Her cousin had a loving husband and a wonderful little boy, she had a warm and loving family of her own. Verity had no one but herself so you could imagine just how happy she was to get away from the life she lived and pretend that she was a part of this incredible family.

"You're daydreaming again." Eliza laughed softly as she moved to gather the carrots that Verity had finished slicing. She scooped them up and moved to the stove, dropping the carrots into the pot where a nice thick broth was simmering. The smell of cooked meat and vegetables filled the tiny kitchen as Eliza stirred the broth.

"There's nothing wrong with daydreaming." Verity laughed a little as she moved to the living area of the room and kneeled in front of the only fireplace in the home. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure that her cousin was busy and then pulled her wand from her coat. She pointed her wand into the fireplace with a muttered word and small bursts of flame erupted from the tip. A moment later, there was a small fire crackling merrily within the fireplace and the warmth that spilled into the small room was wonderful.

"Vee…"

Verity glanced back at her cousin as she slipped her wand back into her coat. Eliza was standing there with a slight frown on her face, a look of warning in her hazel eyes. "You really shouldn't do that. What if Charlie saw you?"

"Well he didn't." Verity straightened and brushed the ashes from her jeans. "Besides, it's freezing in here. A little warmth goes a long way."

Eliza didn't respond to that though she continued to frown. She turned back to the stove with a sigh and shook her head. She was afraid that her cousin would get into trouble one of these days. Though Eliza and her mother were well aware of Verity's witch status, the rest of the family were completely oblivious. If Charlie or her husband were to catch Verity doing magic… Oh Eliza didn't even want to think about it.

She heard Verity's footsteps as her cousin walked across the room and stop in the doorway of the grandparents' room. Eliza glanced over to see Verity leaning against the doorframe, listening to Grandpa Joe telling a story to young Charlie. There was a wistful look on her cousin's face and Eliza could not help but feel that there was something wrong. She had never seen her cousin look so sad before. A light frown tugged at the corners of her lips as she began to slice a loaf of bread. She would have to speak with Verity when they had the chance to be alone…

--

That very evening, when Mr. Bucket arrived home from the toothpaste factory, he was greeted by the sight of a dinner that was not cabbage soup. The fireplace actually had a fire crackling within it and the entire house felt wonderfully warm. He stood by the front door, completely dumbstruck, even as his wife came up to him to kiss his cheek. "Welcome home darling."

"Wh-what is this?" He asked, his brown eyes taking in the sight of the tiny table completely overfilled with bowls of thick, meaty broth, a large platter of sandwiches, and even a small chocolate cake for desert.

"Ah! Cousin Jonathan, welcome home." Verity emerged from the grandparents' room, Charlie following behind her. "Happy Christmas!"

Jonathan Bucket stared at his wife's cousin, he had not been expecting her to be visiting this early. He blinked in reply to Verity's rather cheerful greeting and all that he could think to say was. "Christmas isn't for another few days…"

Verity laughed as she moved to the tiny table and started to sort the cutlery. "I wanted to get in an early start this year. Are you hungry? There's enough food for a second helping if you like."

Jonathan glanced at his wife, the surprise at coming home to an unexpected dinner rendering him speechless. Eliza smiled at him as she went to help him out of his coat. "Come on dear, let's get you all sorted so we can start dinner."

"Yes, yes of course…" He took off his coat and tugged lightly on the collar of his sweater. He was so used to the house being cold during winter, it felt unnaturally warm now. Not that he was complaining mind you. As his wife and son went to help set dinner on the trays for the grandparents, Jonathan glanced over at Verity. She caught his eye and flashed a smile his way, her hazel eyes revealing nothing of what she thought. He took in a breath and gave a nod in return. Though he would not say it, he was grateful to his wife's cousin. Things were getting more difficult at the toothpaste factory and he was worried about his job. This little kindness was just what the family needed, especially since they could not afford to buy what they needed in the first place…

--

The week had passed a little too quickly for Verity. It had been filled with wonderful meals with the Buckets and so many conversations. On Christmas Day, each member of the Bucket family had been given a gift from Verity. The grandparents each received a new woolen hat and a nice thick blanket to keep them warm during the winter days. Eliza and Jonathan received brand new winter coats, hats and gloves. Little Charlie, however, was given not only new clothes for winter but a large chocolate bar to keep all to himself. The best part was that it was not just any old chocolate bar but a _Wonka's Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight._

It was his favorite chocolate bar of all time and, when he had found it buried in the pocket of his new coat, he was completely beside himself with excitement. He loved chocolate more than anything else in the world and he only got a small bar every year for his birthday. So you can imagine his delight at finding a bar of chocolate hidden away. This was the first time that cousin Verity had gotten him chocolate for Christmas and he had to admit it was his easily his favorite present ever.

"Thank you Vee…" Eliza whispered to her cousin as they watched young Charlie dance around his grandparents' bed, waving the chocolate bar with all the excitement a nine year old boy was entitled to have on Christmas.

"I wish you could have told me sooner that he loved chocolate so much." Verity replied, a light smile playing on her lips. "I've never seen anyone so happy over getting a bar of chocolate."

"Well you can imagine…" Eliza trailed off and shook her head. A moment of silence hung between the two women while they watched Charlie run off to show his father the chocolate bar. Eliza glanced at her cousin then and turned to face her. "How soon will you be leaving?"

Verity looked at Eliza and then away, the smile had faded just a bit. "I requested time off through the New Years. I'll be leaving a few days after that so there is enough time for me to spend with you and the family." She didn't say anything more and Eliza did not push the issue.

Her cousin was bothered about something and Eliza had tried to get it out of her when they were alone. Verity, however, would not say one word about it. She never did speak about her own life, Eliza knew that her cousin worked in a sweets shop that catered to wizarding children but that was all. What Verity did all the rest of the year, when she was not visiting the Buckets, was a complete mystery to Eliza.

"Vee, how is your brother, Ignatius?" Eliza asked, trying to keep up some topic of conversation. The light frown that touched Verity's face was answer enough and Eliza nodded with a heavy sigh. Ignatius Prewett was Verity's older brother and a wizard in his own right. Unlike Verity, Ignatius did not approve of his Squib aunt and her Muggle family nor did he approve of his sister always going out of her way to visit them. He was not a mean person by nature but he did have the haughty attitude of many wizards when it came to Muggles.

"Verity dear!" Grandma Josephine called from her end of the bed, a bright smile on her wrinkled face. "Come here for a moment."

Verity blinked in surprise before she moved to stand beside Grandma Josephine. The old lady smiled up at the younger woman and then pulled out a long scarf from beneath her pillow. It had been beautifully knitted from yarn that was a soft shade of brown. Grandma Josephine ran her wrinkled fingers over the scarf before she carefully folded it and held it out for Verity to take. "Happy Christmas my dear, it's not much but I hope you will enjoy it."

Verity took the scarf as her eyes began to fill with tears. She had not been expecting to receive anything from any of them so this gift meant so much more to her than anything else. She unfurled the scarf and wrapped it around her neck, her smiled filled with delight. "Thank you so much Aunt Josephine, it's just what I needed."

Though Grandpa Joe and Grandma Josephine were not related to Verity in any way, she still called them aunt and uncle. It was not because they were Eliza's In-laws but because it was a term of endearment for them. They were such nice people and Verity could not help but love them so.

"You are welcome." Grandma Josephine laughed.

"Vee!" Charlie ran into the room, his chocolate brown eyes bright as he pulled on his new coat, hat and gloves. "Let's go play in the snow!" He was bursting with so much energy, perhaps because of the filling breakfast that the entire family had that morning.

"All right." Verity laughed and went to meet her young cousin. "I think a good snowball fight is in order. What do you think Charlie?"

"Come on Vee!" Charlie took hold of her hand and pulled her out of the room, the laughter from the rest of the family following them to the front door.

--

The few days before Verity was to leave, there was a quiet sadness that filled the small home. It was the same every year, the tearful goodbyes and the promises to write. Though everyone knew she would return next Christmas, it still did not stop the sadness that came in those last moments.

Verity had done some last minute grocery shopping with the last of her vacation funds. She saved what she could to help the family and, though Eliza would not take money directly, she could not deny the food when it had already been bought. Jonathan had already gone back to work at the toothpaste factory since the holiday was over. So, it was only the four old grandparents, Eliza, Verity and little Charlie that sat together that evening.

Dinner had been a quiet affair and afterwards, Charlie had gone to ask his Grandpa Joe a particular question that Verity had actually asked the young boy. Now, Verity was aware of some of the goings on in the Muggle world but she was still ignorant of certain things. She had been talking to Charlie about the chocolate factory that rested in the middle of the town. She had been very curious about it and the man who owned it. She found it absolutely incredible that a muggle like Willy Wonka could have made the largest chocolate factory in the world. It couldn't _really_ be the largest factory in the world, could it?

Oh my, the sudden outbursts of excitement that came from the old grandparents almost made Verity jump in surprise. Charlie seemed a bit taken aback but he went on to ask his next question. "Grandpa, _is _Mr. Wonka_ really_ the cleverest chocolate maker in the world?"

"My _dear_ boy," Grandpa Joe said as he sat up a little higher against his pillow. "Mr. Willy Wonka is the most _amazing,_ the most _fantastic_,the most _extraordinary_ chocolate maker the world has ever seen! I thought _everyone_ knew that!"

"I knew he was famous Grandpa Joe, and I knew he was very clever…"Charlie threw a quick glance over at Verity, who stood in the doorway listening to the conversation. Of course, Verity had not thought that to be true and a faint touch of color rose into her cheeks as she gave a small smile and shrugged.

"_Clever!_" Grandpa Joe cried. "He's more than that! He's a _magician_ with chocolate! He can make _anything_ he wants! Isn't that a fact?" He glanced over at the other grandparents, who were nodding their heads slowly in agreement.

"_Absolutely_ true." Grandma Josephine smiled.

"_Just _as true as a can be." Grandpa George gave a firm nod to prove his point.

Grandpa Joe leaned in close to his grandson, his eyes growing wide. "You mean to say that I have _never_ told you about Mr. Willy Wonka and his factory?"

"Never." Charlie replied, his chocolate brown eyes gazing intensely at his grandfather.

"Good heavens above! I don't know what's the matter with me!"

"Will you tell me now Grandpa Joe, please?"

"I certainly will," Grandpa Joe smiled and patted a spot on the bed right beside him. "Sit down beside me, my dear boy, and listen carefully."

Little Charlie went to sit down on the bed beside his grandfather, his eyes growing wide as he prepared to listen to the tale of Willy Wonka. Verity leaned against the doorframe, her curiosity peeking from the moment Grandpa Joe had declared Mr. Wonka to be an absolute _magician _with chocolate. Of course, it was a term often used by muggles to explain the incredible things another muggle could do. And yet, Verity could not deny that it was a very interesting thought indeed…


	4. Chapter 4

(A/n) Thank you to those who reviewed and alerted! :)

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Chapter 4

Grandpa Joe began to tell the history behind the mystery that was Willy Wonka. He first started to talk about the amazing treats that the chocolatier had created. Mr. Wonka had invented over two hundred new kinds of candy bars, each with a different center, each far sweeter and creamier and more delicious than anything the other chocolate factories could make. He had also invented a way of making chocolate ice cream so that it stayed cold for hours and hours without ever needing to be in an icebox. It could even be left lying in the sun and it wouldn't go runny.

"But that's _impossible_!" Charlie said, his brown eyes growing wide.

"Of course it's impossible!" Grandpa Joe laughed. "It's completely _absurd_! But Mr. Willy Wonka has done it!"

"Quite right!" The other grandparents said as they nodded in agreement. "Mr. Wonka has done it."

"Then again," Grandpa Joe went on, beginning to speak a little more slowly so that Charlie wouldn't miss a word of it. "Mr. Willy Wonka can make marshmallows that taste of violets, and rich caramels that change color every ten seconds as you suck on them, and little feathery sweets that melt away deliciously the moment you put them between your lips. He can make chewing gum that never loses its taste, and candy balloons that you can blow up to _incredible_ sizes before you pop them with a pin and gobble them up." Grandpa Joe's eyes were sparkling behind the large glasses he wore, a bright smile appearing on his wrinkled face. "And, by a most secret method, he can make lovely blue birds' eggs with black spots on them, and when you put one of them in your mouth, it gradually gets smaller and smaller until suddenly there is nothing left except for a tiny, pink sugary baby bird sitting on the tip of your tongue." He paused at this and slowly licked his lips, a look of utter bliss on his face. "It makes my mouth water just _thinking_ about it."

"Mine too!" Charlie smiled as he turned to face his grandfather. "But please, go on!"

While they were talking, the front door opened and Jonathan Bucket entered, stamping the snow off of his boots. He had just come home from the toothpaste factory and he was looking particularly tired this evening. Eliza, who had been standing beside Verity in the doorway of the grandparents' room, went over to greet him and help him out of his coat. Verity glanced back at them before turning to look at the elderly people speaking with their only grandchild.

Grandpa Joe had already gone off into a tale of a crazy Indian prince who had asked Mr. Wonka to build him a colossal palace made entirely of chocolate. Verity would have loved to listen some more but it was getting rather late and she had to return to the Sleepy Owl. She turned away from the grandparents' room and walked over to cousin, a small smile forming on her lips. "Eliza, I have to get going."

"Already?" Eliza's face fell as she looked at Verity, her hazel eyes studying her cousin. "Will you be stopping by tomorrow?"

"Of course I will." Verity laughed a little as she went to hug Eliza and then Jonathan. "I won't be leaving till tomorrow night so I'll come by for breakfast."

"Be careful out there Vee." Jonathan said, patting his wife's cousin as he returned the hug. "It's supposed to be snowing tonight so make sure you bundle up."

"Oh Jonathan," Verity smiled as she pulled away and went grab her coat from the peg by the door. "You actually care about me, that's so sweet."

Jonathan cleared his throat as a faint touch of color rose up into his cheeks. "Yes, well… You are part of the family, it would seem a bit out of place to not worry about you, right darling?" He glanced at his wife, who had gone to walk Verity to the door.

Eliza smiled gratefully at her husband and then looked at her cousin. "Absolutely, now be careful out there. We'll see you in the morning for breakfast."

Verity laughed just a little as she gave a nod and pulled on her coat. "I promise I'll be just fine…" She paused and sighed softly. "Thank you both so much…"

Jonathan and Eliza glanced at each other in confusion before staring at Verity. "What on earth for?" Eliza asked.

Verity's smile grew and she shook her head slowly. "For being here…" She said in reply before she turned around quickly so that they wouldn't see her tears. She pulled open the door and wished them a goodnight, stepping out into the cold, winter evening.

--

The walk back to the inn was uneventful; the recent snowfall had made the sidewalks a little more difficult to maneuver. A few people were walking home and there were one or two cars that were braving the snow covered streets. Verity wrapped her coat more tightly around her as cold breeze began to pick up. She never was fond of the winter season. The darkness always came sooner than one would like, the snow covered everything and, despite the cheerfulness of the holiday, one couldn't be excited about trudging through deep snow.

As Verity turned onto Cherry Street, she caught sight of the chocolate factory's large chimneys off in the distance. From here, she could make out the dark puffs of smoke that rose up into the clouded, night sky. She kept her gaze on the factory as she made her way to the brick wall that was the entrance to the inn. She paused beside the brick wall and took in a breath, her hazel eyes studying the factory. The stories behind that Willy Wonka seemed a bit far fetched, even for a witch such as her. There was no real way that a simple muggle could invent all those different candies that Grandpa Joe had described. And yet, when she had been shopping for the family, she had seen for herself the many strange and unique candies and chocolates that Wonka made. They rivaled that of any wizarding confection, she would know since she was in the wizarding sweets business herself. Ah well, some things in this world were meant to remain a mystery…

Pulling her wand from her coat, she glanced up and down the empty street. No one was in sight, even in a large town such as this there weren't many who stayed out on a cold, winter evening. Confident that she was indeed alone, she glanced at the brick wall and tapped several bricks in a rather odd sequence of circular motions. After this, she tapped the brick directly in the middle of the wall. It shivered once and then pulled away, followed by another and then another, until finally a door was revealed. She placed her wand back within her coat and reached out to open the door.

The sound of conversation reached her ears as she closed the door behind her. Every night, some of the wizards and witches that lived in this town would come to the tiny pub for a few drinks. It sounded as if there were only several people here tonight which meant that business was particularly good for the couple that owned the Sleepy Owl.

"Ah, Verity is that you?" A short, plump woman with a head full of salt and pepper curls emerged from the entrance to the pub area on Verity's left. Her name was Cindy Lineberry and she was the co-owner of the Sleepy Owl. She was wiping her hands on a dish rag, her wand sticking from a special pocket in her apron. She smiled at the younger woman as she placed her hands on her wide hips. "I thought it would be. How is the family?"

Verity smiled in reply as she shook the snow off of her boots and pulled off her coat. "They're well enough Cindy." She pulled her wand from her coat before hanging it by the door. She placed her wand carefully away as she turned to glance at the older woman. "Uncle Joe was telling some interesting stories to Charlie again." She laughed a little as she walked into the pub area, Cindy turning to follow after her.

"Is that so?" Cindy returned the smile, knowing all too well from the years of hearing the many stories from Verity. Grandpa Joe was a favorite subject for the owners of the Sleepy Owl. Though they had not personally met the man, from the way Verity always described him and from the stories that she had shared with them, Grandpa Joe Bucket was one of the most interesting people one could ever hope to meet. "What story was he telling to young Charlie this time?"

Verity smiled a little as she moved to the bar and took a seat at the counter. "About that muggle named Willy Wonka." She replied and Cindy's mouth formed a small "o" in understanding.

There were three other wizards at the bar, one was in deep conversation with Cindy's husband, Donald, and the other two were talking to each other. Donald glanced over when he caught sight of his wife walking in with Verity and he smiled at her. Donald Lineberry was a big man with a head full of silver hair and grey eyes that seemed to sparkle with constant amusement. He and his wife had owned the Sleepy Owl for the better part of two decades and they were quite familiar with the young witch that booked a room every year around Christmas.

Verity smiled at the older man as his wife went behind the counter. Donald returned the smile before turning his attention back to his guest. Verity looked at Cindy as the older woman set her dish rag aside and grabbed a clean glass from the shelf. She moved to grab a bottle of firewhiskey as she set the glass down in front of Verity. She pulled her wand from her apron and waved it, the cork from the bottle undoing with a loud pop. She poured the firewhiskey into the glass and Verity's smile grew as she thanked Cindy.

"Oh you're welcome dear." Cindy laughed as she replaced the cork and put the bottle aside. "Now tell me, what did your Uncle have to say about this famous muggle?"

"A lot of things, believe it or not." Verity chuckled as Cindy leaned on the bar and the younger woman began to tell of the incredible confections that Mr. Willy Wonka had created. Verity was right in the middle of telling about the candy balloons when she felt as if she were being watched. She glanced over to her left and found that the wizard who Donald had been talking to was studying her, his head tilted slightly as he listened to their conversation. Apparently, Donald had wandered off to take care of other business and now the wizard was eavesdropping on their conversation.

There was nothing overly remarkable about the man, he looked to be a several years older than Verity. He had dark auburn hair that ended a little passed his jaw line. His face was a bit too pale, as if he had not seen the sun in days, but it did no detract from the fact that there was indeed a handsomeness that lingered over his features. His eyes were dark, though it was hard to determine what color they were since the lighting in the bar was not all that great. There was something strange about him but exactly what, Verity couldn't put a finger on.

Cindy noticed the sudden silence coming from Verity and she glanced over at the wizard sitting half way down the bar. A bright smile lit her face as she recognized the man and she gave a nod in greeting. "Why hello Bill, how are you?"

The wizard named Bill glanced over at Cindy and a heartbeat passed before he flashed a smile, revealing that he possessed incredibly even teeth. It had a dramatic effect on his features and one would have to be blind not to notice. It was the kind of smile that would make a witch's heart melt from the sight of it and it had no different of an effect on Verity. The butterflies in her stomach began to flutter in response and already a faint touch of color rose up into her cheeks.

"I'm well enough Cindy." Bill replied, his voice was soft and almost boyish in its tone. His fingers were drumming against a wooden cane that rested on top of the bar, the top of the cane bore a simple golden, round cap. It looked harmless enough and yet Verity could not help but feel as if it contained his wand. "I was just taking care of some last minute business with your husband."

"Ah," Cindy nodded in understanding, obviously he didn't need to say more and so the older woman did not ask. She moved away from the counter as she grabbed the bottle of firewhiskey and set in back on the shelf. "Well then, will you be staying long?"

Bill only smiled in response and flicked his gaze over in Verity's direction. "I wasn't planning on staying too long, far too much to do you see." The look in his eyes was hard to determine but it was enough to make the blush in Verity's cheeks grow deeper. His smile widened a little and he glanced back at Cindy. "But I could not help overhearing your conversation."

"Yes, Willy Wonka… he is quite an enigma, even to us wizard folk." Cindy chuckled a little as her gaze settled in Bill, a knowing look in her eyes. "Will you be wanting another drink, Bill?"

Bill's smile grew thoughtful as his fingers continued to drum against his cane. "You know, I think I would… A glass of your finest elven wine would suffice."

"Elven wine, I think I have a bottle in the back somewhere." Cindy grabbed the dish rag she had abandoned earlier. "I'll be right back." And with that, she turned and disappeared through a door that led into the kitchens.

The sudden silence that fell was distinctly uncomfortable. The two other wizards in the bar had left while Verity had been talking with Cindy so it was only she and this strange wizard that sat at the counter. She grabbed her glass of firwwhiskey and sipped it gingerly; the burning that streamed its way down the back of her throat was remarkably soothing. She set her glass aside with a sigh, very much aware of the fact that the wizard was still watching her. The silence continued before the scraping of a stool was heard, followed by foot steps.

The breath in Verity's throat caught when she heard that soft voice right beside her. "May I have this seat?"

She glanced over to find the wizard standing there with that mysterious smile on his face. She noticed that the robes he wore were a deep plum in color and it seemed to match his eyes in some odd way. She also noticed that he was fairly tall and it made her feel even more uncomfortable than before. She knew that she was blushing and she didn't dare trust herself to speak. She simply nodded in reply to his question and he sat down in the empty stool that was right beside hers.

The moment he sat down, she noticed that there was a very faint and unique scent of chocolate and peanuts that lingered around him. That was an interesting smell, not that it was a bad thing mind you. Working in a sweets shop, you tended to appreciate the distinct aromas of different chocolates and candies. She focused on the glass in front of her, the sudden nearness of this strange man affecting her in a way like she had never known before.

"So," Bill smiled as he set his cane back on the bar and glanced at her. "You've been hearing stories about the muggle, Willy Wonka."

"Oh… yes." Verity glanced over at him and nearly fell off of her stool at the sight of him. He was handsome, of that there was no doubt, but now that he was closer she was able to see the color of his eyes. They were a very deep shade of violet. Violet eyes… How often did one get to see violet eyes?

She knew that she was blushing something terrible and she knew that he was very much aware of the fact that he was making her uncomfortable. It seemed to be amusing him to no end though, the smile that played on his lips was almost teasing.

"You have to admit," Verity continued to speak, the sudden need to fill the uncomfortable silence was almost overwhelming. "He is an oddity. He is a muggle that makes candy and chocolates like no other muggle can. No one has ever seen him or has spoken to him in years… You would be curious about his story, too"

Bill's violet eyes flicked between her hazel ones and his smile grew just a bit. "I'm sure you are quite right… It's only natural to be curious about the mysterious and unknown." He tilted his head thoughtfully to the side as he studied her. "But perhaps this Willy Wonka chooses to live in isolation for reasons that are known only to him. Despite the stories and the rumors, the truth behind all of it is the deepest mystery and one that should probably be left alone."

The tone in his soft voice made a warm, tingle run down through her and she suppressed the urge to shiver. "Yes, you are right… We have no real business trying to find out the how's and why's behind a man's actions." Silence greeted this statement, it seemed as if this wizard appreciated those long pauses. He certainly was taking advantage of the moment to continue studying her.

"You are an interesting woman." He finally broke the silence, his smiling growing as he sat a little straighter in his stool. "Yet I am embarrassed to say that I did not catch your name."

"V-Verity…" She replied as she reached out to take the hand that he offered. His hand was as pale as his face but it was surprisingly warm.

"Verity…" Bill chuckled appreciatively. "The meaning of which is truth. How very fitting. It is surprising, though, to see a witch dressed like a muggle and in the correct way no less."

"I'm visiting family here in town, they're muggles so…" She trailed off, suddenly finding it hard to breathe when those violet orbs were staring so intensely at her.

"Ah yes, family…" He looked away then, much to Verity's intense relief, as a thoughtful expression fell across his face. He remained strangely quiet after this, the thoughtful expression on his face turning into a light frown. He seemed to be recalling something but Verity was afraid to ask him exactly what. He was one of the strangest people she had ever met…

"Here we are!" Cindy emerged from the back with the bottle of elven wine in hand. Her gaze flicked between Verity and Bill, noticing the wizard's sudden change in seats as well the uncomfortable silence that hung in the air. She set the bottle down on the counter as a light frown played on her round face. "Is everything all right Bill?"

"Hmm?" The wizard blinked and glanced over at the older woman. "Oh! Yes, yes I'm fine…" He smiled and waved it off. "Just having a bit of a daze, Cindy, no need to worry."

Verity took her glass and drained the rest of the firewhiskey before setting it back down. "Cindy, I'm going to call it a night."

"So early?" Cindy glanced at the younger witch and shook her head. "You're leaving tomorrow right?"

"Yes, I have to finish packing and then I'm spending the rest of the day with the family." She replied as she got up from her stool.

Cindy nodded as she opened the bottle and started to pour a glass of elven wine for the strange wizard. "Well then, I'll see you in the morning before you leave."

Bill had been watching Verity the entire time she had spoken with Cindy and he was smiling when she had glanced his way to say goodnight. "It was an honor to meet you Miss Verity." He got up from his stool and gave a very formal bow.

"Likewise," Verity replied, the warmth that filled her cheeks was beginning to annoy her. Bill straightened, his smile growing as his violet eyes studied her with interest. Verity had the deepest feeling that he was toying with her and she didn't like it, not one bit. "I hope you'll enjoy the rest of your evening."

"I will do so, thank you…" Bill continued to smile at the witch, noting the faint pink tinge that played upon her cheeks. She stood there a moment longer until the faint blush grew deeper and she muttered a quick goodnight before turning on her heel to leave the room. The wizard stared at the doorway as he took his seat, his smile growing thoughtful.

"Now Bill," Cindy began, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "Whatever is it that you're thinking of, I suggest you stop. That girl is a dear and I don't want any man, wizard or muggle, to be thinking of her in any rude manner."

"Cindy, I'm offended… I assure you that my thoughts are as pure as the snow outside." His smile remained as the older witch scoffed and shook her head, disbelief written clearly on her face. Bill said nothing else as he went to grab his glass, his violet eyes dancing with amusement. Yes, that had been an interesting meeting and he had been honest with Cindy. His thoughts of the young witch had been anything but sexual in nature. No, what he had been thinking of, as he watched Verity walk away, was the simple fact that something unexpected had just happened. He knew that it wasn't going to be the last time that he saw that particular witch and he couldn't help but wonder just how long it would be before their paths crossed again.

Well, he could be honest with himself at least. He would indeed be looking forward to that moment if and when it happened…


	5. Chapter 5

(A/n) Thanks so much for the reviews and alerts!! :D

* * *

Chapter 5

The following morning, Verity awoke from the sound of a loud crash that seemed to echo off the walls of her bedroom. She sat up in her bed, her eyesight unfocused and a stream of incoherent obscenities slipping passed her lips. What had that loud noise been just now?

Throwing the covers off of her, she staggered out of bed and to the door of her room, hearing the shuffling of feet from her neighbors on either side of her. She stuck her head out through the opening of the doorway and looked up and down the tiny hallway. She caught a few confused glances her way; apparently she wasn't the only one wondering what that noise had been.

A moment later, Cindy appeared on the landing of the flight of stairs, her salt and pepper curls bouncing around her cheerfully round face. "Not to worry everyone, it was only the muggles outside. Apparently there was a crash from those confounded mah-sheens that they ride around in." The other wizards and witches had already gone back into the rooms at the mention of muggles. They knew firsthand the trouble those cars could cause, especially in the snow.

The sound of doors closing echoed off the walls of the hallway, only Verity remained by her door. She caught Cindy's eye as the older woman continued to smile, walking over to Verity and crossing her arms across her large bosom. "Well, you can always count on muggles to cause some sort of mischief." She said as she tilted her head to the side. "You can go back to bed if you like Verity, it is fairly early still."

"No Cindy, I think I'll stay awake…" Verity said with a gentle sigh, reaching up to run a hand through her hair. "I have some last minute shopping to do before I leave…"

"If you say so dear…" Cindy studied the younger woman with a look of concern, Verity looked so sad for some reason. Then again, she often did when she had to leave, it was clear that she loved her family very, very much. Cindy could not help but wonder why Verity did not move here to town to be closer with the family she adored so much. It was none of her business though, that was a decision that Verity had to make on her own.

Verity smiled at the innkeeper's wife before she turned and disappeared into her room, the door closing behind her with a gentle click. Cindy studied the door with a thoughtful look on her face and then a small smile appeared. She began to hum to herself as she turned and walked toward the stairs, her salt and pepper curls bouncing with each step.

--

Verity had finished packing the last of her clothing, making sure that she had her wand tucked safely away, before she left the Sleepy Owl with a last goodbye to Donald and Cindy Lineberry. She had found it odd when Cindy had given her a small, purple envelope with her name written on the front of it in elegant handwriting. Cindy had told her not to open until she was safely at home and away from muggle eyes. That had been peculiar but Verity did not ask any questions, she simply took the envelope with a kind smile and a promise. Though she was curious about what the envelope contained, she stuffed the envelope within her bag without a second glance and rushed out the door. She nearly collided with a passing muggle, who had glanced at her in confusion seeing as she had appeared from what had been a brick wall. She passed it off quickly with a muttered apology, blaming her two left feet for the stumble. Thankfully, the muggle did not say anything in regards to her sudden appearance and continued on his way.

Taking in a breath, she continued on her way up Cherry Street, passing the car accident that had happened between a small pickup truck and a minivan. She rushed through the streets to the grocery store, going over her simple list of food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She must have been a sight to see, a young woman with two pieces of luggage stowed away in a cart while rushing through the aisles and grabbing food and canned items along the way.

It wasn't until an hour later that she had showed up on the Buckets' front step, her cheeks flushed and her chest heaving from the run she had to make. Eliza's hazel eyes were wide as she opened the door, Charlie stood behind his mother and a bright smile lit his face at the sight of his cousin.

"I'm not too late for breakfast, am I?" Verity said with a gasp, a small smile lighting her pretty face as she held up the grocery bags along with her luggage.

"No, you're right on time…" Eliza said in reply, a light smile touching her lips as she stepped aside to her allow her cousin entry. Verity's smile grew as she adjusted her grip on all of the bags and went inside.

--

The day had passed quickly, while Jonathan had gone to work and Charlie had gone to school, Verity had helped her cousin with laundry and chores. She kept her aunts and uncles amused with stories of her own, omitting some obvious truths, and listened to Grandpa Joe while he recounted the tale of Willy Wonka and the Indian prince that she had missed the previous night.

By the time the evening had arrived, Charlie had come home from school and had finished his homework. Dinner was a simple affair but terribly depressing since it was Verity's last with the family before she had to leave. Jonathan was not present since he was working another late shift at the toothpaste factory. Once again, it was only Eliza, Verity and Charlie sitting with the elderly grandparents after dinner was gone.

Charlie had taken his seat from the previous evening right beside Grandpa Joe to listen to the continuation of Willy Wonka's story. Verity was in her usual spot, leaning against the doorframe of the grandparents' bedroom. Eliza was finishing the last of the dishes from dinner but her ear was cocked toward the door, listening as much as everyone else in the home while Grandpa Joe began his story.

"You see Charlie," Grandpa Joe said, his eyes were sparkling behind his large glasses. "Not so very long ago there used to be thousands of people working in Mr. Willy Wonka's factory. Then one day, all of a sudden, Mr. Wonka had to ask every single one of them to leave, to go home, and never come back."

"But why?" Charlie asked, his chocolate brown eyes gazing at his father with rapt attention.

"Because of spies…"

"Spies?"

"Yes," Grandpa Joe said in reply, nodding his head in such a fashion that his large glasses threatened to slip off of his nose. "All of the other chocolate makers were jealous of the wonderful candies that Mr. Wonka was making, and they started sending in spies to steal his secret recipes. The spies took jobs in the Wonka factory, pretending that they were ordinary workers, and while they were there, each one of them found out exactly how a certain special thing was made."

"And did they go back to their own factories and tell?" Charlie leaned forward to place his hands on either side of his grandfather's leg.

The look on Grandpa Joe's face was hard to determine, it was a cross between disgust and sadness. "They must have," he replied, "because soon after that, Fickelgruber's factory started making an ice cream that would never melt, even in the hottest sun. Then Mr. Prodnose's factory came out with a chewing gum that never lost its flavor however much you chewed it. Then, to make it even worse, Mr. Slugworth's factory began making candy balloons that you could blow up to incredible sizes before you popped them with a pin and gobbled them up and so on and so on." Grandpa Joe shook his head sadly, the memory of those times clearly playing in his mind. "Mr. Willy Wonka tore his hair and shouted, 'This is terrible! I shall be ruined! There are spies everywhere! I shall have to close the factory!'"

"But, he didn't close the factory…" It was Verity that spoke this time, her hazel eyes revealing the confusion that she felt. She had tucked a lock of her copper brown hair behind her ear, completely drawn into her uncle's story. For as long as she had been visiting her family, not once had she seen that chocolate factory closed. There had always been thick billows of smoke that issued from the chimneys, a sure sign of a working factory.

Grandpa Joe glanced over at Verity, a light smile playing on his thin lips. "Oh but he did," he replied, casting his gaze back to his grandson. "He told _all_ of his workers that he was sorry but they would have to go home. Then, he shut the main gates and fastened them with a chain. Suddenly, Wonka's giant chocolate factory became silent and deserted. The chimneys stopped smoking, the machines stopped whirring, and from then on, not a single chocolate or candy was made. Not a soul went in or out, and even Mr. Willy Wonka himself disappeared completely."

Silence fell after this, almost everyone felt the weight of these words, the depressing thought that no more incredible candies or chocolates had been made by the wonderful Willy Wonka. A heartbeat passed before Grandpa Joe continued, "Months and months went by but still the factory remained closed. Everyone began to say, 'Poor Mr. Wonka, he was so nice and kind. He made such marvelous things but he's finished now. It's all over!'" He paused at this as he leaned back against his pillow, reaching up to push his glasses up along his thin nose. "Then, something astonishing happened. One day, early in the morning, thin columns of white smoke were seen to be coming out of the tall chimneys of the factory! People in town stopped and stared. 'What is going on?' they cried. 'Someone's lit the furnaces! Mr. Wonka must be opening back up again!' They ran to the gates, expecting to see them wide open and Mr. Wonka standing there to welcome his workers back. But no! The great iron gates were still locked and chained securely as ever, and Mr. Wonka was nowhere to be seen.

"'But the factory is working!' the people shouted. 'Listen! You can hear the machines! They're all whirring again! You can smell the melting of chocolate in the air!'" Grandpa Joe leaned forward and laid a bony finger on Charlie's knee, and he said softly, almost too softly that Verity had to strain to hear it. "But most mysterious of all Charlie, were the shadows in the windows of the factory. The people standing on the street outside could see small dark shadows moving about behind the frosted glass windows."

Verity's interest piqued at this, a slender brow rising in question. Small dark shadows? That was not what she was expecting to hear. Neither was Charlie by the sound of it because he leaned forward, his eyes growing wide. "Shadows of whom?" Charlie asked quickly, his attention hanging on every word.

"That's exactly what everyone else wanted to know. 'The place is full of workers!' the people shouted. 'But nobody's gone in! The gates are locked! It's crazy! No one has ever come out either!' But there was no question at all," Grandpa Joe continued, his eyes sparkling, "the factory _was _running and it has gone on running ever since, for these last ten years. What's more, the chocolates and candies it has been churning out has become more fantastic and delicious all the time. Of course _now_, when Mr. Wonka invents some new and wonderful candy, neither Mr. Fickelgruber nor Mr. Prodnose nor Mr. Slugworth nor anyone else is able to copy it. No spies can go into the factory to find out how it is made. "

"Surely Uncle Joe, someone must be working in Mr. Wonka's factory. Who could be operating the machines?" Verity had pushed off of her spot by the doorframe by this time, avoiding her cousin Eliza, who had been standing beside her.

Grandpa Joe smiled at his niece-in-law and raised a bony finger to tap against his nose. "That is the why it is such a mystery Verity, nobody knows who the people are that work in the factory."

"That's absurd!" Charlie said, a light frown playing on his young face. "Hasn't someone asked Mr. Wonka?"

Grandpa Joe glanced at his only grandson and shook his head once. "Nobody sees him anymore. He never comes out. The only things that come out of that place are the candies and chocolates, already packed and addressed."

"But Grandpa," Charlie continued with earnest, "What _sort_ of people are they that work in there?"

"My dear boy," Grandpa Joe said with a toothy smile, "that is one of the biggest mysteries of the chocolate making world. We know only one thing about them. They are very small. The faint shadows that sometimes appear behind the windows, especially late at night when the lights are on, are those of _tiny_ people, people no taller than my knee…"

"There aren't any such people…" Charlie said in a murmur, the frown that played on his face filled with a trace of doubt, even by his own words.

Verity, however, knew otherwise. There were indeed such people living in existence. In fact, there were many different species of such people living in the wizarding world. So it was no wonder that the sudden thoughtful frown that appeared on her face after hearing this story was one of deep confusion. How could a man such as Willy Wonka acquire the help of small people such as that unless he was more than what he seemed? Could he possibly be linked to the wizarding world in such a way? It was possible though incredibly farfetched…

Verity would have continued to ponder for the answer to this mystery if not for the sudden slam of the front door. Everyone jumped in surprise and glanced back to find that Jonathan Bucket had arrived home from work. He was waving the evening newspaper around in an excited manner, his brown eyes alight with wonder. "Have you heard the news?!" He cried as he held out the newspaper so that the headline could clearly be seen by everyone in the room:

**WONKA FACTORY TO BE OPENED AT LAST TO LUCKY FEW**

"You mean people are actually going to be allowed to go inside the factory?" Grandpa Joe cried, nearly leaning over the side of his bed from the excitement. "Read us what it says- quickly!"

"All right," Jonathan said with a smile, folding out the newspaper with a flourish. "Listen…"

And so Jonathan began to read the article, describing how Mr. Wonka was going to allow five, and only five, children into his factory. They would be shown around his factory, in a tour that he would conduct himself, to see all of the secrets and magic that would not be shared with anyone else in the world. At the end of the tour, as a special present, all five children would be given enough chocolates and candies to last them for the rest of their lives. Five Golden Tickets have been hidden away under the ordinary wrapping paper of five ordinary Wonka chocolate bars. These five chocolate bars may be anywhere, in any shop on any street in any city of the world. These five Golden Ticket winners would be the _only_ ones allowed to see his factory.

"The man is dotty…" Grandma Josephine said in a low mumble, her wrinkled hands moving the knitting needles with surprising ease.

"He's brilliant!" Grandpa Joe cried, ignoring the shocked look on his wife's face. "He's a magician! Just imagine what will happen now! The whole world will be searching for those Golden Tickets! Everyone will be buying Wonka bars just for the chance of finding a Golden Ticket! He'll be selling more than ever before!"

"It would be something to find one…" Jonathan said in agreement, staring thoughtfully down at the evening paper.

"Wouldn't it be something, Charlie, to open up a bar of chocolate and find a Golden Ticket inside?" Grandpa Joe said, turning his sparkling gaze to his only grandson.

Charlie returned his grandfather's smile but it was a sad one that appeared on his young face. "It certainly would Grandpa but I only get one bar a year, for my birthday. "

"You never know darling…" Grandma Georgina said with a gentle and kind smile. "It's your birthday next week. You have as much chance as anyone else."

"I'm afraid that simply isn't true," Grandpa George spoke this time, the tone of his voice stern. "The kids who are going to find a Golden Ticket are the ones who can afford to buy one every day. He hasn't got a chance…"

Everyone in the room glanced at Grandpa George, the looks on their faces ranging from sadness to slight anger. Grandpa George ignored the looks as he settled down against his pillow. "Mark my words, the child who is going to find the first ticket will be fat, fat, fat…"

Verity shook her head as a soft sigh escaped her lips, she left the room to go and gather her luggage. The evening had grown late and she was supposed to arrive for work bright and early the next morning. Everyone glanced up as she appeared in the doorway, a sad smile on her face. "Well, this all has been rather exciting but I'm afraid I have to get going now."

The excitement over the Golden Tickets had been forgotten in that brief moment when everyone began to say goodbye all at once. There were many hugs and kisses in goodbye and many tears from the women. It was a hard thing for all of them; Verity was always a joy to have around. She always brought with her a sense of something more, something almost close to magic. From the gifts she would give to them for the holiday season, she helped them to forget that times were hard for the family.

Once all of the goodbyes had been made and the promises to write exchanged, Eliza walked her cousin to the door and gave her one last hug. "I hate it when you have to leave…" She muttered as she pulled away, reaching up to wipe a stray tear from her eye.

"There's always next year…" Verity said in reply, a gentle laugh slipping passed her lips. "I'll write to you as soon as I get home. Now, you have enough food to last you for the next two weeks and I left some firewood on the side of the house for the fireplace…"

"Yes, yes…" Eliza gave a nod and turned her cousin around. "We'll be fine, go on before I start to cry even worse." She pushed Verity off of the front step and raised a hand in farewell as her cousin began to walk down the pathway. It was terribly dark out, save for the streetlamps in the distance, so Verity's petite form was swallowed up by the shadows. Eliza stood there on the threshold of her home, waiting. It wasn't until she heard a distinct popping noise further out in the distance that she allowed herself to relax and the tears to fall…

--

Verity's home was nothing more than a simple one room flat above the sweets shop that was her fulltime job. The moment she stepped through the door, she was bombarded by the incessant hooting of her barn owl Julius, who sat on his perch by the large window in the sitting area.

As she kicked the door closed and set her bags down on the floor, she noticed the pile of letters on the kitchen table that awaited her attention. Most likely they were letters from her father and brother, bills that needed to be paid and some other odds and ends that could wait until morning. She shook her head as she bent down to open one of the bags, looking to find her toiletries. She was in desperate need of a shower and a good night's sleep before she would start on those letters from her family.

The sudden feel of thin paper, nothing like the parchment she was used to, caught her attention just then. Her curiosity peeking, she pulled her hand out of the bag and withdrew a small, purple envelope that she had forgotten she had stuffed in her bag just earlier that morning. Only her first name, written in an elegant script, was found on the front of the envelope. Cindy had given this to her but Verity knew Cindy's handwriting and this was nothing like hers.

Without thinking, she slid her finger under the lip of the envelope and tore it open. She reached inside to pull out a paper that was the same shade of purple as the envelope. Truly curious now, she opened the letter and nearly jumped back in surprise. A burst of lavender petals had exploded from the card and rained down upon her head. A tinkle of music could be heard, though Verity did not recognize the tune, and it was a simple and sweet melody that reminded her of a muggle music box.

She blinked as she glanced down at the letter, the same elegant writing on the front of the envelope written across the purple paper:

_Dearest Verity,_

_I enjoyed the simple and yet intriguing conversation that we had shared. Please do not be too angry at Cindy, she was simply fulfilling my request to get this letter to you before you continued on your journey. I must say, you have captured my curiosity in a way that I was not expecting. I do apologize if this seems a bit forward of me but would you perhaps like to join me for lunch? _

_I will understand if you do not find the thought to be as enjoyable as I do. We hardly know one another and it does seem a bit too soon to be requesting such a thing. However, to get to know a person, you must spend the time in order to do so. If you do not wish to, I will understand entirely. You do not have to respond in any way, I will get the message by the simple lack of response._

_However, if you are as curious about me as I am about you, and you do not find the thought of sharing a simple meal with me to be revolting, please send this letter back with your answer. Your owl shall know where to find me._

_Sincerely Yours,_

_Bill_

The sound of her blood rushing into her ears seemed to block out all forms of thought from her mind. The wizard that she had spoken to the previous night had requested to share lunch with her. How strange was that? She had no idea who he was or why he would even find her to be curious. Yes, they had shared a few words but it was nothing to be remembered about.

The image of his violet eyes appeared within her mind, that dazzling smile of his knocking all sense and reason out of the way. Yes, she had been curious about him, she was human after all. It was hard to not notice a wizard like Bill, everything about him was just strange though Verity had no idea why.

Rising from her kneeled position, Verity walked to her writing desk and set the letter down upon the wood. She stared at the purple paper for some time, the tinkle of music had continued to play its sweet melody, a never ending loop that would continue until the paper was folded again. A few moments passed before Verity picked up her quill, dipped it in her ink well, and leaned down over the paper. The sound of the quill scratching against the thin paper was the only thing that could be heard along with the tinkle of music. It brought a surprisingly sweet smile to her face…


	6. Chapter 6

"Andrew, I need two boxes of Nut-so-Crunchers, three cases of Frutti Glo-Taffies, and grab one more jar of Sugared Everlasting Caramels!"

"All right Ms. V!" The voice of her young employee traveled from the depths of the stockroom, Andrew's blond hair just barely visible behind the mountains of crates.

Verity rolled her eyes and gently shook her head as she turned away from the door that led to the stockroom. She ran her quill over the parchment that she held in one hand, going down the list of inventory that she had. She made her way carefully around the counter that separated the store from the main floor, eyeing the wooden shelves and displays as she noted any candies that needed restocking.

The sweets shop that Verity owned was a small shop that was located in a small town that harbored mostly wizarding folk. It was a building that remained hidden from the sight of the muggles who lived in the town. Whenever a muggle would pass this particular street, all they would find was an abandoned yard that was home to weeds and old farming equipment.

There were a few children milling about today, talking in excited voices as they pointed to different candies on display. Their parents were on the other side of the store, talking amongst themselves while their children were preoccupied. Verity smiled at the parents, giving a nod in greeting as she set her quill and list down on the counter. She made her way over to the children, her hazel eyes sparkling at the sight of them.

"Did you want to try some of those Dragon Drops? We just put them out this week."

One of the children, a young girl with long light brown hair and a several freckles speckled across her nose, gave Verity a very bright smile. "Can we Ms. Prewett?"

"I don't see why not." Verity pulled out her wand and pointed it wordlessly to a large, glass jar right on a shelf above the display. A few pieces of brightly colored, oval candies floated up from the jaw and spiraled their way down onto Verity's waiting hand. "These are extra special you know…" She kneeled down as she held the candies out to the children, her smile growing.

"What's so special about them?" A young boy with unruly red hair and missing front teeth, stared up at the older witch, looking almost afraid to take a piece.

A very secretive look touched her Verity's lips and she beckoned the children closer. "You promise not to tell a single soul?" When the children gave an earnest nod in reply, she held a finger to her lips and looked over her shoulder, as if trying to make sure she would not be overheard. She looked at the children and gave a wink. "I made them myself. You put one of these in your mouth and you let the candy melt on your tongue. When it is completely gone, you take a deep breath in and blow, something incredible will happen."

"What happens?" The third child, a girl who was younger than the other two and wore a pair of spectacles that made her eyes appear larger than they actually were, asked very timidly.

Verity glanced at the girl, her hazel eyes sparkling with mischief. "You'll just have to find out and see," she said as she took hold of a single red candy and held it out the youngest girl.

The young girl glanced up at her for a brief moment before reaching out to take the single piece. She popped it into her mouth and pursed her lips, her large eyes growing larger as a hint of smoke curled from her nostrils. After a few heartbeats, the young girl took in a deep breath before she opened her mouth and blew. A small burst of magical fire escaped her lips, the flame reaching out to harmlessly dance around Verity's face.

Verity laughed as she waved at the flame, the fire dancing around her hand and never once catching on her skin. "You can breathe just like a dragon…" She looked at the other two children and held out the remaining pieces of candy. They took the candy eagerly and popped the colorful Dragon Drops into their mouths. A few moments later, the store was filled with colorful flames bursting from the children's mouths, their laughter erupting from the feel of the harmless, tickling fire.

Needless to say, the Dragon Drops were an instant hit and Verity had managed to sell a good portion of them to the children, even their parents had tried a few for the fun. It was a good sale and it was a good start to getting more of the candy she had made out to the public. The rest of the day brought a steady stream of children and adults in and out of the store. Most bought Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, and some Cockroach Clusters, a standard staple of sweets that marched in and out of her shop on a daily basis. The candy she had invented on her own was selling fairly well considering her inventory but if she could manage to get them out of her own shop and with other vendors, it would be a different story entirely…

"Ms. V, it's five 'o clock, is it all right if I can head home?"

Verity glanced up from her ledger, the old cash register was wide open and she was tallying the total amount of galleons, sickles and knuts. Andrew was taking off his apron as he emerged from the stockroom, his blue eyes studying his boss. Verity glanced up at the clock on the wall and saw that it was indeed five. She looked at him and gave a quick nod. "Of course Andrew, be careful on the way home and give your mum my best."

He smiled in reply, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he gave a nod. "I will Ms. V," he said as he hung his apron on the peg beside the door to the stockroom. "Have a goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Verity waved goodbye to her employee as he grabbed his cloak and left the store, the little bell above the frame jingling lightly as the door closed behind him. Silence fell around her and she heaved a gentle sigh as she finished tallying up the amount made for the day. This sweets shop was her one and only passion in life. Between peddling the wares of other wizarding vendors and inventing her own special treats, she barely had time for anything else in life. The children that visited her shop on a daily basis were the only other joy she experienced, a joy that she wished she would have been blessed with. Of course, balancing a career and a family was not easy and so she had chosen instead to pursue her dream of creating her own candy, a dream that had brought with it some regrets…

The door to the shop opened and brought with it the bitter cold wind that had been pressing its icy fingers against the windows of the store for the past couple of weeks. The bell jingled in reply to the new customer entering and Verity set aside her quill as she shivered against the draft. "I'm sorry. We're closed at the moment."

"Are you now?" A soft and almost boyish voice replied, a familiar plum colored cloak coming into view beyond the display of blood flavored lollipops. The tall man glanced her way and flashed a dazzling smile toward the witch, his dark auburn hair flecked with drops of melting snow. "I suppose I couldn't have come at a better time then." He closed the door behind him, shutting out the bitter cold and brushing the snow off of his cloak. He turned around to face her properly, his violet eyes catching hers. "Hello Verity, I hope I am not too early." The blush that filled her cheeks in response was enough to make that dazzling smile of his grow.

"Hello Bill," she said, the skipping beat of her heart betraying the calm demeanor she was trying so hard to portray. She picked up her quill and resumed finishing the last of her ledger, making a point to avoid looking at the handsome wizard. "I'm sorry; I'm not quite finished with the last of the day's business. I had made more than I had expected for the day…"

"That is quite all right my dear, take your time." Bill walked further into the shop, glancing about at the many colorful displays and shelves that surrounded him. The sound of his cane thumping against the floorboard did little to help stifle the sudden awareness that Verity often felt when he was near, an awareness that had not passed since their first lunch together nearly three weeks prior.

Verity tried to focus on the piece of parchment in front of her, the sound of her quill scratching against the rough paper helping to block out the sound of Bill's cane. She could not imagine why she was so bothered by this wizard, even after the several lunches they had shared together. Perhaps it was because of the single fact that Bill had invited her to dinner this time, a gesture that had not gone passed her. Perhaps it was because of the fact that she still knew next to nothing about this wizard save for the fact that he was charming, terribly handsome, and interested in her in a way that was beyond her.

He had been reluctant to share any part of his private life with her. Whether he had family, what he did for a living; simple facts that people would have normally known after the second or third date, she still had no knowledge of. She paused at this sudden thought, her quill hovering above the ledger as a deep blush filled her cheeks. No, these had not been dates they had been sharing these past few weeks… though what they were she could not say for sure. She hung her head and concentrated on finishing the last line, her curtain of copper brown hair falling forward to hide her face from view.

She did not notice that Bill had paused in front of the shelf that held the nearly empty jar of Dragon Drops. He stared thoughtfully up at the jar and at the other jars, small boxes, and other displays that held candies that Verity had made herself. The spark of interest that caught in his violet eyes and the small, very pleased smile that danced upon his lips did not reveal what thoughts that ran through his head. He glanced over at the brunette, studying her as the lamp light caught on her hair, making it look like a silky sheet of metallic fire. His fingers drummed lightly upon the golden cap of his cane, his smile fading slightly to one of thoughtful confusion. He was not sure what he was to make of this particular witch. From what he had seen so far, from the joy that lit her face when she spoke of her muggle family to the passion that she held for the sweets shop that she owned, she held traits that were quite admirable for him.

He had known that there was something in particular about this witch from the moment they had met at the Sleepy Owl. He had a feeling about her that he could not explain properly and rather than wait for the fates to decide when they would meet again, he had taken it upon himself to seek her out. Cindy Lineberry had been such a wonderful help in getting the letter to Verity. He knew that he was being very forward; they had barely talked to warrant enough of an impression upon one another. The curiosity had been enough though, that little seed that had been planted not only in him but in her as well. The response he had received the following evening had been courteous and friendly, a positive response that had made him smile without realizing.

The past few weeks had been a wonderful time for him. Though he did not reveal too much of himself to her, she did not push him for any information he was not willing to give. She had been perfectly fine with speaking of her own life, her own dreams and of her muggle family in that town that she visited every year at Christmas. He had been quick to find out that they shared a very similar passion, a passion that had manifested itself in this little shop in which he stood at this moment in time. A passion that he felt strongly for himself, though Verity was not aware of this particular fact. He wondered how much longer it would be before he would feel the need to share that most secret part of himself with her. Something told him it would not be long. From their simple meals together, he had found himself growing particularly fond of this young witch in a way that he had not been expecting…

"Dragon Drops?" Bill read the sign that was below the glass jar and then cast his violet eyes at the witch. "I've never heard of those before, are they new?"

Verity was cleaning up the last of the till, leaving the standard amount for the next business day, before throwing the rest in a pouch. She pulled out her wand and waved it absently, the pouch, the quill and the ledger floating up and away through a side door that led to her office. She pulled of her apron and hung it on the peg, tucking her wand away in her dark green robes as she did so. She went grab her black cloak and threw it around her, pulling back her hair as she did so. She glanced at the wizard, that usual blush filling her cheeks as she gave a nod, mumbling something in reply.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" He asked, tilting his head to the side as he tried to catch what Verity had said. He had always been hard of hearing in his right ear and it was unfortunate that she had spoken toward that particular direction.

Verity moved from behind the counter, fixing the hood of her cloak as she walked toward him. "Yes, they are new," she said, the touch of a blush remaining on her cheeks in a way that Bill found terribly sweet. She looked up at the jar and a wistful smile touched her lips, a look that he found to be particularly alluring. "I made them myself. They sold fairly well today…" She trailed off and shook her head, glancing up at him as the smile faded from view. "Where shall we be having dinner?"

Bill blinked in reply, having lost his train of thought at the sight of that smile that had been on her face. He took in a breath and took a step back, bowing slightly as he managed to regain his usual charm. "I was hoping to have dinner in a familiar place, one I think you would like."

"A familiar place?" She smiled at that, a perplexed smile that Bill could not help but enjoy the sight of.

"Yes," he said as he walked toward the door of the shop and pulled it open, the feel of the bitterly cold wind blowing in to curl around them. "You will see." He held out his arm, that dazzling smile melting away whatever doubts she felt. "Shall we?"

Verity moved forward to take hold of his arm as they left the shop, the door closing automatically behind them and locking itself of its own accord. There wasn't a single sound that could be heard as the two turned on the spot and disappeared from view, a silence that stretched out onto the view of an abandoned and weed filled yard…

--

Dinner had been a particularly sweet affair despite that it had been at the Sleepy Owl. Cindy had been expecting them because there was a small table in the corner of the pub area, dressed finely with a new white tablecloth and clean silverware. The evening passed with much laughter between them, it had been a very comfortable affair and one that Verity wished did not have to end so quickly.

It did end though and in a way that Verity had not been expecting. It was a little passed seven in the evening and they were sharing a bottle of elven wine. Cindy had been cleaning up the tables around them, getting ready to shut the pub for the night. She did not rush the young couple and instead focused on getting the bar counter clean. As she was wiping down the counter, her husband Donald had emerged from the back, a newspaper held in one hand.

It was not a wizarding paper but rather a muggle one, for the pictures on the front were as still as can be. The title on the front page declared:

**FOUR GOLDEN TICKETS FOUND, MAD DASH FOR FINAL TICKET**

"I swear Cindy; the muggles in this town have gone completely bonkers. Such a mad rush over some chocolate…"

"Mm hmm," Cindy replied, glancing over at the table where Bill and Verity were in conversation over the candy she had made. "Curiosity and greed will do that to you… I can only imagine how much money that Willy Wonka is making because of all of this."

She caught the sight of Bill glancing over at them, his violet eyes studying the middle aged witch with a look she could not identify off hand. He turned his attention back to Verity, the smile that lit his face over the sound of her laughter warming Cindy's own heart. There was something there between the two of them but she could only wonder how much longer Bill would continue to hide himself from the young witch that had caught his interest so…

"Cindy, what's today's date?"

Donald's booming voice broke the older witch out of her reverie. She stole a glance over at the calendar on the wall and noted the date. She shook her head with a sigh as she continued to wipe down the bar counter, her salt and pepper curls falling down around her cheeks. "It's the thirtieth dear, we're going to have to do inventory for the shipment that's due on the first of February."

At the sound of that, the smile that had been on Bill's face faded slightly and he reached into the folds of his plum cloak to withdraw a gold pocket watch. He noted the time as well as the date and he glanced up at the witch that sat across from his, his violet eyes looking slightly crestfallen.

"Bill, what's wrong?" Verity noticed the watch as well as the disappointed look on the wizard's face. "Is everything all right?"

Bill slipped his watch back within the pocket of his cloak, a small and sad smile appearing on his lips. "I am afraid I'll have to cut our time together short." He set his wine glass aside and reached out to pick up his cane. "I just remembered that I have much to do for an upcoming business trip and I have yet to finish the details of it." He got up from his chair and glanced down at the witch, the grip on his cane growing tight. "I hope you can forgive me for my rudeness."

Verity stood up from her chair as well and shook her head, an understanding smile touching her lips. "It's quite all right Bill. You do have to make a living as well as I." A soft sigh slipped passed her lips as she studied him. "I had a lovely time…"

"I'm glad to hear that, I did as well," he said in reply, revealing that smile that never failed to knock all sense and reason out of Verity's mind. "I would like to do it again soon, if that's all right. Perhaps we can have dinner in a week? I'll return from my trip then and will have all of my time completely at your disposal."

"I would like that." Verity's smile grew; the obvious relief and pleasure that shone within Bill's violet eyes doing little to help with the frantic beating of her heart.

"It's settled then. I'll send a letter your way once I return." The tense grip on his cane had relaxed somewhat and without warning; he had leaned forward and pressed his lips gently against her cheek. "My dearest Verity, it is always a pleasure being in your presence." He pulled away and took a step back, bowing his head slightly. "Until next week, I beg you to be safe and be warm." He flashed a smile her way before turning and leaving the pub area, the sound of his thumping cane disappearing into the entrance hall. Verity stood there for several moments after he had left, the dazed expression on her face quite obvious to the fact that she was surely feeling something toward the mysterious wizard.

"I take it you've grown a soft spot for Bill."

Verity jumped at the sound of Cindy's voice. The older witch had appeared behind Verity and was picking up the wine glasses. She looked at the younger witch and a teasing glint appeared in her eye, a look that Verity did not like.

"He's a good lad, just a bit shy around strangers." Donald chimed in from the bar, his gaze studying the younger witch. "You've had a good affect on him you know. Haven't seen him smile like that in years…"

"I… It's not…" She tried to find her voice but could not. Instead, she thanked Cindy and Donald for dinner, wished them a goodnight and left the inn. Once outside in the bitter cold, Verity braced herself against the brick wall that was the entrance to the inn and tried to calm her nerves. Honestly, those two… they made it seem as if her relationship was Bill was anything more than just friendship. It wasn't.

In fact, that was the first time Bill had ever come close do showing any intimacy towards her in the past few weeks. A simple peck on the cheek didn't mean anything… but still… it did feel wonderful…

The sound of something scraping against the pavement of the sidewalk brought her out of her dazed thoughts. She glanced up the nearly empty sidewalk to catch sight of a muggle shoveling snow from the front of the newspaper and stationary store. After the recent blizzard, it was a normal sight but something about this particular muggle struck a cord with Verity. Perhaps because of the hat and coat that looked near identical to the one she had given to her cousin's husband a month prior.

Her curiosity peaking, she stole a glance at the clock displayed in the store window and found that was a seven thirty in the evening. It was a time that Jonathan Bucket should be working at the toothpaste factory…

"Jonathan?" Her voice called over to the muggle and much to her surprise, the muggle raised his head in response. What in the world was her cousin's husband doing shoveling snow off of a sidewalk?

Meanwhile, Jonathan Bucket stared at the strangely dressed woman that had called out to him. He didn't recognize her, at least not from the way she was dressed. It was a strange ensemble that was a black cloak and dark green robes. She looked as if she had stepped out the pages of some medieval history book. It wasn't until the woman had made her way over to him, and stood within the light of the streetlamp above him, that he recognized her. His heart dropped as he caught sight of the deep frown on Verity Prewett's face, the confusion at the sight of him shoveling snow quite obvious. "Verity?"

"Jonathan, what are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be at the factory?"

Jonathan Bucket set his shovel in the pile of snow he had been making and let out a sigh, a stream of silver easing from his lips. How could he explain this one without creating worry for his wife's cousin? He looked at Verity and shook his head, his shoulders slumping in response. There was no way he could explain it… The truth was something that, in this case, could not be avoided…


	7. Chapter 7

_(A/n) Thank you for the wonderful reviews and to those who alerted and faved!_

* * *

Silence hung in the frigid air and Jonathan Bucket was not particularly comfortable with the fact that his wife's cousin was looking particularly angry. He had just finished telling his story: he had lost his job at the toothpaste factory because they had decided to modernize. Thanks to all of the candy that had been consumed from the Golden Ticket Contest, the up rise in toothpaste sales had allowed the factory to hire machines to do the work at a faster pace than what any human had done.

Now out of a job and unable to find new work, Jonathan had been forced to take on odd jobs for the past two weeks to make what little money he could. It wasn't nearly enough to support a large family and with the food that Verity had bought over the holidays now gone, the family was beginning to starve.

"Why didn't Liz tell me?" Verity was seething, her fists were clenched tightly at her sides and her cheeks were bright pink from either rage or the biting cold, it was hard to tell which. "Why didn't she send me a letter? I would have sent money to help-."

"She didn't want you to worry Vee."

"Not worry…?" She took in a breath and then two, the sudden anger giving way to sadness. "You're all slowly starving, you can barely make enough to support the family let alone feed them properly and she doesn't want me to worry…?" She closed her eyes and shook her head once. "No pride this time Jonathan. You have a young boy at home who deserves to eat a full meal and damn it, if there's a way for him to get it, let it happen."

Jonathan was silent, taking in the sudden protective look that had appeared on her face at the mention of Charlie. She was right of course. If she was willing to help them, they were in no real position to refuse.

Verity took the silence as an agreement and she slowly began to relax. "I'll be by sometime a little after ten tomorrow morning. I have a few things to take care of before I come over." She sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead, her breath easing out in silver puffs. "I can't believe she would let it get this far… "

"Verity," Jonathan said, his chocolate brown eyes taking in his cousin-in-law's strange appearance. Now that the awkwardness had passed, he was fully aware of the strange clothing she was wearing. "What were you doing here in town? Don't you live quite a ways away from here?"

Verity glanced up and felt her heart drop, having forgotten that she was still donned in her wizarding attire. She took in a breath and gave a nod. "Yes… but I was visiting a friend." She paused at this, scratching her brain to come up with an excuse. The idea seemed to come from no where but she went along with it anyway. "It was a costume party, the theme being medieval, so we had to dress the part." A faint blush appeared on her cheeks and she cleared her throat. "I was just on my way home before I saw you shoveling the sidewalk…" She trailed off at that and stared thoughtfully at the shovel in Jonathan's hands. A moment passed before she glanced up at her cousin's husband and gave a single nod. "I'll be by tomorrow as promised. Don't work too late Jonathan… and please don't tell Eliza that you had seen me."

Jonathan Bucket nodded in agreement as Verity said goodbye and turned to walk up Cherry Street. Her black cloak trailed along the sidewalk, the sound of her boots clicking against the icy pavement fading away as she turned the corner at the candy store and disappeared from view. He sighed heavily and pulled up the brim of his hat to scratch his head. His wife's cousin was an enigma but she had a good heart. He supposed it was meant for all of this to happen… He picked up his shovel and resumed clearing the sidewalk of snow, not hearing the sound of a very faint pop in the distance…

--

At quarter passed ten o'clock in the morning, Eliza Bucket paused in the middle of her sweeping to the sound of sharp knocking on the front door. Wondering who on earth could be knocking around this time she set the broom aside and wrapped her coat tightly around her. The firewood from Christmas had long since been used and the family had taken to wearing their Christmas gifts every hour of every day now. It had been especially cold this morning and Eliza thought that it might have been her husband coming back for who knew what.

The knocking continued as she reached the door and unlocked it, the knocking sounded in earnest, as if the person on the other side was in a bit of a hurry. When Eliza opened the door and found the sight of her cousin, donned in regular clothing, standing there with large bags of groceries, she nearly fainted on the spot. "V-Verity…?" Her voice was just above a whisper, her hazel eyes growing wide as she leaned against the door for support. "W-what are you doing here?"

A slight frown appeared in answer to that question and Verity shuffled the bags in her hands, letting out a huge sigh. "The better question is why am I still standing out here? It's freezing Lizzie, may I come in?"

As if in a daze, Eliza moved aside to allow her cousin entry while she studied the frazzled appearance of her clothing. Verity appeared to have slept in her clothing, coat and all. The moment she had set the bags down on the floor and pulled of her hat and scarf, Eliza noted the slight circles under her eyes.

"Vee, what are you doing here?" Eliza repeated her question as she closed the front door, watching as her cousin pulled off her coat and hung it on a peg. Verity didn't answer her; instead she grabbed the groceries and went into the little kitchen. She set the bags on the little table and began to unpack various kinds of canned and bagged goods, fresh fruit and vegetables and even a few packages of meat. She started to put the food away in the refrigerator and the cupboards.

"Verity…" Eliza walked toward the little table and reached out to grab her cousin's wrist, stopping her from moving the jug of milk. Verity stared at Eliza, a slight tick in her jaw the only movement that she gave. The two women stared at one another before Eliza finally released Verity's wrist and Verity set the milk down with a sigh.

"I was in town last night, having dinner with a friend." She placed her hands firmly on the scrubbed surface of the wooden table, her hazel eyes staring at the swirling grains that had lost its polish many years before. "As I was leaving the inn, I saw Jonathan outside, shoveling the sidewalk in front of the stationary store. I knew he was supposed to be at the factory so I confronted him." She glanced at Eliza and shook her head. "He had told me what had happened… I was angry to say the least." She resumed in placing the groceries away, the look on her face could best be described as annoyed.

Eliza studied her cousin, shame and guilt warring within her. She had wanted to write to her but she couldn't bring herself to ask for Verity's help. Verity had her own life to worry about; she didn't need the weight of their problems shifted upon her shoulders. Eliza told her this as well, watching as Verity paused in placing the last of the canned goods in the cupboards.

The witch slowly turned to face her cousin and stared at her, long and hard. Eliza returned the stare, noticing the sparkle of tears that appeared in her cousin's hazel eyes. Finally, Verity closed her eyes and moved forward, wrapping her arms around her cousin's small shoulders. She pulled her into a tight hug, burying her face within Eliza's hair. "You _are _my family… I would do anything for you, all of you… Please don't feel as if anything you could ever ask of me would be a burden to me…"

Eliza could feel the tears burning in her eyes and she returned her cousin's hug, holding her close. "Thank you Verity…"

--

With a curious wisdom that came to some children when facing hardship, Charlie had learned that when food was scarce, the best remedy was to do things very slowly and very carefully. That way, he could conserve what energy he had since he was not eating enough. In the mornings, he would leave ten minutes early so that way he could walk to school, rather than run. During recess, when the other children would be playing and chasing each other around the school yard, he would sit and rest in the classroom, where it was warm. Everything he did now, he did with the thought of saving his energy, so that he wouldn't be as tired at the end of the day.

That afternoon, once school was dismissed, Charlie made his way slowly down the street as he had been for the past couple of weeks. The wind that blew was very icy but the sidewalk was clear of any snow, most likely because of his father's hard work. Other children ran around him and further up the street, heading to the candy store on the corner of Cherry Street. The thought of candy, of food, set his stomach to grumbling and Charlie winced, burying his face within his red scarf. He couldn't remember ever feeling this hungry and he wondered if perhaps it would be worse tomorrow…

The last of the children that turned the corner onto Cherry Street managed to dodge a woman who was walking up the sidewalk, her face covered by a brown scarf that resembled Charlie's. He didn't notice the woman at first, not until she had stepped deliberately into his path. He barely managed to stop himself from ramming into the woman and was about to apologize when a familiar lock of copper brown hair (that had managed to get pulled from under her hat by the icy wind) caught his eye. He glanced up at the woman and recognized the hazel eyes that stared down at him in turn.

The woman reached up to pull her scarf away from her face and a familiar, bright smile greeted him. "Hello Charlie."

Charlie stared at up at his cousin, surprise seen clearly on his pinched and pale face. After a heartbeat, all of the energy that Charlie had been saving was let loose in a whoop of pure joy as he flung himself at his cousin. "Cousin Verity!"

Verity caught the boy and pulled him close against her, wrapping her arms tightly around his tiny body. Oh Merlin, he was even skinnier than she remembered; nothing but skin and bones. Her heart lurched with sympathy and slight anger at herself for not having checked up on her family. She had assumed they were all right… how wrong she had been…

"You must be starving," she said, pulling away to brush the dark brown hair from his eyes. "Come on then, let's get something quick into that tummy to hold you over till we get home. You mum has a nice dinner waiting for us." She kept an arm around his tiny shoulders as they walked slowly up the sidewalk together.

At the mention of food, Charlie's stomach grumbled but he ignored it and focused on studying Verity. It had been a month since he had seen her but she looked the same as ever, save for the light circles beneath her eyes. "Verity, what are you doing here? Christmas isn't for another eleven months…"

Verity glanced at him and a slight smile appeared on her lips. "So it is…" She sidestepped a passerby, pulling Charlie aside with her. The man didn't spare them a glance as he hurried on his way. "I was visiting some friends here in town and ran into your dad while he was working. He told me how you were doing so I decided to make my visit earlier this year."

Charlie smiled at that, the first real smile that had touched his small face in days. "How long are you planning on staying?"

She sidestepped another passerby, pulling Charlie expertly along as she continued to walk. They turned the corner onto Cherry Street and past the candy store that was filled with children. Verity glanced at the store, muttering something along the lines of "too crowded," before continuing past a wide brick wall and on toward the newspaper and stationary store. "I'll stay for however long you want me to stay Charlie." She said as she pushed open the door to the shop and waited for Charlie to go first. Charlie paused beside his cousin and smiled at her, knowing that she meant what she said. She returned the smile and urged him inside, the door swinging closed behind them with a little jingle.

--

The man that stood behind the counter was fat. He looked as if he had never had a day in which he even knew what it was like to be slightly hungry. The fat that bulged over the collar of his shirt jiggled as he glanced at the woman and the boy, his beady eyes lighting with interest as he recognized the young woman. He had seen her often enough over the years, passing to and fro in front of his shop. She was a pretty young thing and often imagined that if he were only thirty years younger… This was the first time she had ever entered the shop and he was smiling more so than usual as she and the young boy stepped up to the counter.

"How can I help you?" He asked pleasantly, his gaze glancing down to the boy before jumping back to the woman. She was prettier up close and he found his smile growing as she nudged the boy beside her and nodded toward the shelves lined with chocolates and candies behind him. The day had been pretty uneventful, just the usual customers that came and went. At the moment, there were two other customers in the shop aside from the woman and the boy, a middle aged mother who lived a few blocks down the street and a tall, lanky man who had a prominent balding spot in the middle of his head. Both had their noses stuck in newspapers, ignoring the other two.

"One Wonka's Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight, please…" The boy asked meekly, his brown eyes glancing up at the woman as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a bill. She laid it on the counter for the man, who took it in hand and turned around to grab the large chocolate bar from the shelf. He set it on the counter in front of the boy before moving over to the register. As he rang in the sale, he kept his eye on the boy as he took the candy bar and ripped it open. He tore off a huge piece and stuffed it into his mouth. The pure joy that appeared on his pale face was incredible to see, considering how skinny he looked, the chocolate seemed to do the trick.

The woman was smiling as she watched the boy stuff more of the chocolate into his mouth, barely chewing as he swallowed. The shopkeeper moved to set the change in front of the woman, his beady eyes studying the boy. "Take it easy son or you'll give yourself a stomachache if you keep on like that." He looked at the woman and smiled at her while the boy ignored the advice and continued to wolf down as much of the chocolate as he could. "Anything else I can get for you?"

The woman kept her hazel eyes on the young boy as he finished the last of the chocolate before pocketing the wrapper, looking much happier. He took in a breath, eyeing the change on the counter before glancing up at the woman, a somewhat pleading look in his eyes. "Verity, may I… have another of the same kind?" he asked hesitantly, though he sure looked as if he could use another bar of chocolate.

The shopkeeper noted the sad look that swept across her face and she didn't even hesitate as she nodded, her gaze turning to the shopkeeper. "Another bar please…" She said, her voice bearing a tiny bit of husk to it, as if her throat was somewhat tight. She pushed the change back across the counter as the shopkeeper grabbed another bar of chocolate for the boy.

The boy grabbed the bar from the counter while the woman watched, the sad look on her face replaced with a small smile as the boy smiled up at her. The shopkeeper took the change from the counter and was about to turn when the boy had ripped the wrapper off the bar and a flash of gold caught his eye.

The change fell from his thick hand and onto the counter, scattering across the surface. The boy seemed to be just as shocked at the sight of the gold within the chocolate wrapper and the woman appeared to be slightly dumbstruck. A moment of silence went by before the shopkeeper let out a whoop and leaned over the counter, his huge stomach preventing him from getting a better look.

"I- I can't believe it! Son, you've found a Golden Ticket! You've found Wonka's _last_ Golden Ticket!"


	8. Chapter 8

"A Golden Ticket!" The shopkeeper was beside himself with excitement as he looked at his other customers, his chest filling with pride. "And in my shop of all places!"

"Hey there, let me see it." The balding man had cast his newspaper aside as he and the middle aged mother crowded around Verity and little Charlie to get a better look.

"That is incredible! My Henry has been opening twenty bars a day trying to find one," said the mother, her eyes wide with surprise and a tad bit of envy. "Yet this little one finds it after only two goes…"

"Verity, is it really a Golden Ticket?" asked Charlie, his brown eyes glancing up at his cousin while a bright smile played on his face. "I'm not dreaming am I?"

Verity leaned in closer to study the ticket held tightly in his hands. It bore the logo of the famous chocolatier and in black letters printed upon the seemingly fragile golden material, the words "Golden Ticket" could be read. The woman didn't know what it was, but she could have sworn she saw a few strange symbols run across its surface as Charlie removed the ticket from the chocolate bar to get a better look. The ticket didn't look as if it were something a muggle could make easily, in fact it looked as if it was made from real gold, the kind of gold that only goblins were quite apt at making…

Verity nearly jumped when the balding man rested a hand on Charlie's shoulder and leaned in close to him. "Listen, I'll buy it from you. I'll give you fifty dollars. How about it, eh? And I'll give you a new bicycle as well. Ok?"

"Are you _crazy_?" The mother shouted, having overheard the man. "Why, I'd give _five hundred dollars_ for that ticket!" She turned her attention to Charlie, who was looking very uncomfortable with these people standing so close to him. "What do you say? You want to sell me your ticket for five hundred dollars, young man?"

"That's _quite_ enough of that!" The fat shopkeeper yelled, his booming voice making everyone jump in surprise. "You two leave that poor boy alone. He found the ticket fair and square." He looked at Verity and gave a nod. "You take your boy straight home Miss. Don't let anyone try to take that ticket from him, no matter what."

"Of course," Verity said with a grateful smile as she wrapped an arm around Charlie's shoulders. "Thank you sir." She said a quick goodbye as she pushed her way past the man and woman, steering Charlie away from them and out of the shop. "C'mon Charlie, we have to get you home."

Charlie didn't need telling twice as he started running ahead of his cousin, occasionally jumping up in the air as he did. Verity struggled to keep up with him, considering that running was not her best method of getting around; she was a bit out of shape for such exercise. Charlie seemed to know a better route to his house than she did because they were making their way right past the closed gates of the chocolate factory. As they ran, Charlie waved his Golden Ticket to the lit, frosted windows, the smile on his face large and filled with new life "I'll be seeing you! I'll be seeing you real soon!" He cried as he ran, glancing back at his cousin to make sure that she was still behind him.

Verity had never gone past the factory on the way to her cousin's, perhaps because she usually stopped by the grocery store first, which was quite a ways away from the factory itself. As she ran to keep up with Charlie, a funny warmth emanated from the large wall beside her, as if it were reacting to the presence of the boy that ran ahead of her. The very part of her that knew a magic spell when she saw one, could not help but feel the unease grow in the pit of her stomach at the feel of the strange magic. There was something going on here and she had a gnawing feeling that it all focused on the mysterious Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory.

--

"Mum! Mum!" Charlie burst through the front door of his home, his cousin trailing in after him and looking completely out of breath.

Eliza Bucket came out of the grandparents' room, holding a large pot that contained a hardy broth for the elderly people. "Goodness Charlie, what is going on?" She looked over to find Verity closing the door to their home, her cheeks and nose a bright pink from the dash against the icy wind. She pulled off her brown scarf as she smiled at her cousin and glanced at Charlie.

"Go on Charlie, tell your mum." She said as Charlie danced in front of his mother, the excitement in his little face was enough catch his grandparents' attention.

"Charlie, what's happening?" Grandpa Joe called from the room, catching the sight of his grandson looking so exuberant not going past the old man. He leaned as far as he could in his bed, the other grandparents watching the door. Charlie caught his grandfather's eye and he rushed past his mother as waved the ticket in the air. "Look! I've got it! The last Golden Ticket! It's mine! Verity had bought me two candy bars and second one had the ticket! Everyone at the store wanted to see it but the shopkeeper saved me and we ran all the way home and here I am!" He turned to his mother then, his brown eyes bright with excitement. "_It's the fifth Golden Ticket, Mum, and I've found it!_"

Eliza Bucket simply stared at her son while the grandparents, who had been holding their dinner trays in their laps, dropped their spoons with a clatter. For about ten seconds there was absolute silence in the room. No one dared to move or speak; it was as if a petrifying spell had been cast on the entire family.

Finally, Grandpa Joe spoke, asking the question that echoed in everyone else's minds save for Verity's. "You're pulling our legs Charlie, aren't you? You're having a little joke?"

"I am not!" cried Charlie as he rushed back to the bed and held out the ticket for him to see. Grandpa Joe leaned forward and took a close look, his nose almost touching the ticket. The others watched him, waiting for the verdict.

Very slowly, with a slow grin spreading across his wrinkled features, Grandpa Joe lifted his head and looked straight at Charlie. The color was rushing to his cheeks, his eyes wide open and shining with joy and growing excitement. The old man took a deep breath and suddenly, without warning, an explosion of seemed to take place in him. He threw up his arms and cried out with joy. "_Yippeeeeeeee_!!" At the same, his long bony body rose up out of the bed and his dinner tray went flying to the floor, soup and all. In one fantastic leap, this old fellow jumped onto the floor and started a dance of victory right there in his pajamas.

"Yippeeeee!" He shouted. "Three cheers for Charlie! Hip, hip, hooray!"

At this point, Charlie's father walked into the room. He was cold and tired from shoveling sidewalks all day and looked it. He had just set his shovel by the door when he had heard all the commotion and at the sight of his father jumping around stopped him dead in his tracks. "Cripes! What's going on in here?" asked Jonathan, his brown eyes wide with surprise. It didn't take them long to tell Jonathan what had happened, seeing as everyone was talking at once.

"I don't believe it," he said, "It's not possible."

"Show him the ticket Charlie!" shouted Grandpa Joe, who continued to dance around his striped pajamas. "Show your father the fifth and last Golden Ticket in the world!"

"Let me see it Charlie," said Jonathan in a tired manner as he moved to the only chair in the room and collapsed down on it. He held out his hand to his son and Charlie came forward to give the precious ticket to his father.

"Read it aloud!" said Grandpa Joe, finally climbing back into his bed. "Let's all hear exactly what it says."

Jonathan held the ticket close as he read the fine print on the back of the ticket. He trembled slightly, appearing to be somewhat overwhelmed by the entire business. He cleared his throat and began to read aloud Mr. Wonka's personal message to the lucky finder. The contents of the ticket were pretty straight forward: A standard greeting, an explanation of what was in store for the finder, mostly surprises that they were to find out once they had arrived. On the very end of the message, Mr. Wonka had these instructions to give.

"…Here are your instructions: The day I have chosen for the visit is the first day of February. On this day, and no other, you must come to the factory gates at ten o'clock sharp in the morning. Don't be late! You are allowed to bring with you either one or two members of your family to look after you and to ensure that you don't get into mischief. One other thing- be certain to have this ticket with you, otherwise you will not be admitted.

(Signed) Willy Wonka"

"The first day of February?" asked Verity, who had been silent up until this point. She was leaning against the doorframe, her hazel eyes studying the ticket that her cousin-in-law held. "Isn't that tomorrow? I'm sure that today is the thirty first."

"I think your right Vee," Eliza said as she bent down to pick up the spilled dinner tray and soup Grandpa Joe had been so keen to knock over. "I believe Charlie found that ticket just in time…"

"Then there's not a moment to lose!" shouted Grandpa Joe. "Wash your face, comb your hair, and brush your teeth-."

"And for heaven's sake boy, get that mud off of your pants!" Grandpa George cut in, looking as terribly excited as Grandpa Joe.

"Now don't fluster poor Charlie," said Eliza as she got to her feet and set the tray aside. "We have to keep calm; this is a big deal for everyone. What we have do decide is this- who is going to the factory with Charlie?"

"I'll do it!" Grandpa George shouted, leaping out of bed once again and startling the other old people. "I'll take him! I'll look after him! You leave it to me!"

Eliza took in a gentle breath as she smiled at her father-in-law, a kind smile that did not go past Verity. Grandpa Joe may seem well enough now but he was a very old man with health issues that might need attending to should the stress be too much. Eliza looked at her husband then and gave a nod, "How about you dear? Shouldn't you go?"

Jonathan studied his wife, then his father and finally his son, a heartbeat past before he answered. "Well Liz, I'm not sure that I should…"

"But dear, you must-"

Jonathan held up his hand to cut off any protests and shook his head. "Mind you, I would love to go, it would be tremendously exciting. However… I can't afford take a day off and I think that the person who deserves to go most of all with Charlie is Grandpa Joe. He seems to know more about it than we do, provided he feels well enough of course." He looked at his father and smiled the moment Grandpa Joe let out a whoop and seized Charlie by the hands, pulling him around in a dance.

"Well, he certainly seems well enough," said Verity with a gentle laugh as she watched the old man and his grandson.

Eliza gave a nod in agreement but still seemed to be troubled by the thought. "Perhaps you're right… I just don't feel comfortable having Grandpa Joe go off by himself. I certainly can't go with them, I have to stay here and take care of mum and dad and Josephine…"

Charlie, who had finally managed to be released from Grandpa Joe's dancing, turned his mother and smiled. "Why doesn't Vee come with us? She was the one who bought the candy bar with the ticket inside. It only seems fair she should come along." He looked at his cousin then and his smile grew, a pleading look appearing in his brown eyes. "She can take care of Grandpa and me, I know she can."

Verity felt distinctly uncomfortable as all pairs of eyes in the room landed on her, a faint blush rising up in reaction to the sudden attention. Eliza smiled; her son's idea seemed to be just what she needed to clear her worry. She turned to her cousin, her smile expectant. "Verity…"

"No," Verity shook her head as she pushed off the doorframe. "No, I can't run off to tour some mug- some chocolate factory when you need my help here-."

"It would be of a great help to me if you went with Grandpa Joe and Charlie tomorrow." Eliza said, walking over to her cousin and taking her hand. "Please?"

Charlie ran over to grab Verity's other hand and put on the best pout he could muster. "Please Vee? Come with us?"

"Ah Verity, you deserve to go to this factory just as much as Charlie does!" Grandpa Joe exclaimed, rushing over to wrap a long, bony arm around his niece's shoulder.

It was hard to say no when there were such pleading looks coming from three very sincere faces. Verity closed her eyes and groaned, knowing that she was going to regret this decision as some point down the road. She tilted her head back, asked Merlin for patience, and let out a huge sigh. "All right, all right… I'll come." She said, amongst the sudden cheers that erupted from both Grandpa Joe and Charlie.

The sound of earnest knocking on the front door interrupted the touching family moment, the earnest knocking then turning to a banging. Jonathan got up from his chair, eased his way around his family and went to answer the door. A moment later, a swarm of reporters, cameramen and photographers rushed into the small home. They had tracked down the finder of the fifth Golden Ticket and they all wanted a story to air for the evening and morning news.

For several hours, there was complete chaos in the tiny home and it must have been near midnight before Jonathan Bucket was able to get rid of them so that Charlie could finally get to bed…

--

"I can't thank you enough Vee," Eliza said as they stood outside of her home. It was closed to one in the morning and Verity looked exhausted. Eliza leaned forward and pulled her cousin into a tight hug. "So much has changed since this morning and all it took was your showing up at our door."

Verity laughed a little and returned the hug. "I suppose but believe me when I say that I didn't plan on Charlie finding the last Golden Ticket."

"Well I don't doubt that," said Elisa with a laugh as she pulled away and smiled at her cousin. "You should get going, we'll see you early in tomorrow."

Verity nodded, wished her cousin goodnight, and left the Bucket's home. It didn't take her long to get to the inn and it was so late that there was no one about to see her open up the brick wall. The moment she entered the inn, she was greeted by candlelight from the pub area. As she walked past, she noticed that Donald was behind the bar and speaking with a wizard, the frown on his face indicating the seriousness of the conversation.

At the sound of her footsteps, Donald glanced her way and the frown eased just a bit. "Ah, here she is Ignatius. I told you she would be by when she was ready to."

Verity paused in mid-step, watching as the wizard turned around, a familiar head of short, well groomed, copper brown hair and a matching moustache revealing the wizard to be her older brother, Ignatius Prewett. From the frown that adorned her brother's face, Verity could only guess that his unexpected visit meant that it was for less than pleasant reasons…


	9. Chapter 9

"Nate?" Verity walked slowly into the pub area, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took in the sight of her older brother. "What are you doing here?"

Ignatius Prewett glanced over at Donald, who had quickly excused himself and disappeared into the kitchen. Nate shook his head and turned to look at his younger sister, his frown growing worse at the sight of Verity's muggle clothing. "Take off those ridiculous clothes and pack your things, we need to be leaving shortly."

"Excuse me?" She stared at her brother, her temper rising slightly. "I hope you are not speaking to me in such a way." She straightened her shoulders, her frown rivaling that of her brother's. "I'll ignore that last statement. Why are you here?"

Her brother took in a breath and eased it slightly, his brown robes rising gently from the movement. "It was agreed that you would only come once a year to visit these… people." He lifted his hand at that and brushed at the air, looking as if he were brushing away dust. "Yet when I come to visit my sister, her shop is closed and her flat is dark and empty. There is no reason for you to be visiting these muggles any more than need be-."

"It was agreed between me and that of Eliza," she hissed, her hand clenching into fists as she glared at her brother. "You have no say in what was agreed between us. They were in trouble Nate and they needed my help-."

"They are nothing more than muggles!" He spat, his mustache fluttering from the expanse of air. "They are people who have nothing to do with our world and we have nothing to do with theirs. That is why there are boundaries and that is why there are laws!"

"They are our family!" She said in frustration, taking a step forward and pointing out toward a window. "It doesn't matter if they are muggles or not, they are still our blood and I will gladly give up my wand if it means that it will help them."

"At the rate you are going that will most likely be a reality!" He said in turn, his cheeks turning a bright shade of red. A few moments had past before the siblings managed to regain their tempers. Nate shook his head slowly as he sighed heavily. "They are not family… I am your family; our father is your family. Those people in that little shack on the outskirts of this town have nothing to do with us."

"They have everything to do with me…" Verity said in reply, looking tired as she turned away from her brother and moved to a stool at the bar. She sat down and rubbed her forehead, completely drained. "Georgina is our aunt, whether you and father admit it or not. She is blood… I can't turn my back on her and Lizzie, not when they need me…"

Nate stood there in silence, a blank look on his face as he studied his younger sister. He couldn't believe what he had heard. Was she honestly going to turn her back on her own father and brother for some distant relatives that had little to do with her? The silence stretched on in a very uncomfortable manner and for the first time, Nate was seeing his sister. His lips thinned, his breath easing from his nostrils as he straightened his posture. "I see then… Father was afraid you would feel this way." He turned away from his sister and walked toward the entrance hall. He stopped just short of doorway and glanced at Verity, a slight frown appearing on his features. "Do what you will… Just remember that as of this night, you will not have a home to return to nor will you have a shop to open."

Verity's eyes shot up and her hand fell away from her face. "Y-you wouldn't dare… That candy shop is my life's work, father would never-."

"He will if you do not come home tonight… He has played your games all these years in order to keep you happy Vee but even father has his limit. He doesn't want you to continue seeing these people… It is hard enough these days to remain hidden from the muggles and with you continuing to go gallivanting off to see these people…"

Nate noticed the sudden hardness that flashed across his sister's hazel eyes and the stiffening of her posture. "Fine... If that's the way father wants it…" She got to her feet and walked toward her brother, reaching into her jacket to pull out her wand. Without a word, she waved it and a single key appeared between them, floating in a sparkle of amber light. "Take it." She took a step back, ignoring the stunned look on his face as he stared at her. "Take the shop back and tell father that as of this moment, I am as dead to him as his own sister and niece."

She swallowed back the tears as she watched her brother take the key to the candy shop, watched as he stared at it, looking as if he wanted to say something but did not. Instead, he turned away from his sister and left the inn, the door shutting closed behind him.

Verity stared at the entrance hall, her wand trembling in her hand as she tried her best not to cry. Her shop, her very dreams, taken just like that… Sure her father had owned the property but she had made it hers, had made her candies there, had made her one true happiness there… With a choking sob, she placed a hand over her mouth and shook her head as she closed her eyes. She stood there for some moments, not noticing the sound of footsteps as they came around the bar.

She did not move when she felt small arms wrap around her shoulders nor did she say a thing when she heard a gentle shushing as Cindy pulled her close into a comforting hug. "It's all right child… you did what was best for your family. You'll see, everything will be all right… Come now, let's get you to bed…"

"I don't have anywhere to go after this Cindy. I can't go back there, father will be expecting that." She looked at the innkeeper's wife, her hazel eyes filled with tears. "Did I do the right thing?"

Cindy reached out to brush the copper brown hair away from Verity's face. "You did what you believed was right Verity… Don't worry about needing a place to stay. You can stay here as long as you need to." She glanced over at the bar to where her husband stood, watching the two of them. "Isn't that right dear?"

Donald gave a firm nod in agreement, the look of concern on his face revealing his worry for the young woman. "No protests Vee, you stay here until your family gets back on their feet. You've done so much for them now, there's no sense in walking away."

Verity studied the older woman and her husband before a gentle smile emerged and she reached up to wipe her tears away. "Thank you…"

...

The following day brought with it a very bright and sunny morning, though the air was still cold and the ground white with snow. Outside the gates of the infamous chocolate factory, crowds of people had gathered from all over to watch the five lucky winners as they entered the once forbidden factory.

The air was thick with excitement and the crowds of people pushed and shouted while policemen, with their arms linked, tried their best to hold back the crowd without resorting to violence.

Right before the gates, shielded from the crowd by the police, stood the five lucky golden ticket winners and their grownups. Mostly every child stood with their mothers and fathers, every child save for little Charlie, who stood with his hand holding tightly onto the bony hand of his Grandpa Joe. His cousin Verity stood beside him with an arm wrapped around his small shoulders. She looked terribly tired, as if she had gotten very little sleep, and there was a sadness that lingered in her eyes that Charlie did not like.

"Vee, are you ok?" Charlie whispered, leaning over to catch his cousin's eye.

"Hm?" She blinked and looked down at him, her eyes catching his and within a moment, the sadness was quickly replaced by a gentle smile. "Oh yes, I'm sorry Charlie. I didn't get much sleep so I am a bit tired…"

Charlie's smile grew as he studied his cousin, an understanding reaching him since he too did not sleep much the night prior. "It's exciting isn't it? We're finally going in to see Wonka's factory!"

"Yes," she said as her smile grew just a bit, her little cousin's happy face making all the heartache worthwhile. "It's very exciting…"

The buzz of conversation from the other children and their parents were joined by the shouts of the crowd. Everyone seemed eager for the appearance of the famous chocolatier and yet the only thing that Verity could feel was a mild interest. There was a dull ache in her heart, the very fact that her own father and brother could care so little for this family… Only because of their lack of magical ability…

Somewhere in the distance, a clock tower struck the hour of ten, the sound of the bell echoing across the town. At that moment, the great gates to the factory began to open of their own accord, the terrible screeching of the rusted hinges piercing the near silence in a very unpleasant way. All eyes were fixed upon the gates as they opened, the suspense was terrible…

"There he is!" Someone in the crowd shouted behind the ticket winners. "That's him!"

Standing in the open gateway, a tall man watched the crowd with a large smile that adorned his pale face. He was dressed in a fashion that might have seemed a bit strange, even by muggle standards. A plum colored top hat sat in a crooked fashion on top of a head of short, dark auburn hair. He wore a tail coat that was the very same shade of plum that looked to be made of very nice velvet. His trousers were a light shade of beige and his hands were covered by a pair of plum colored gloves. In one hand he carried a cane that bore a golden cap and he was swinging it from side to side in a playful manner.

The most catching feature of Mr. Willy Wonka, however, were the violet eyes that flicked quickly about the crowd and over the ticket winners and their families. They were sparkling with amusement and excitement, a tell tale sign of the incredible fun that was waiting in store for the winners. "Welcome my friends!" He held out his arms in a flourishing manner, his cane dangling from his graceful fingers. "Welcome to my chocolate factory!" His voice was boyish and though it was quite playful in its tone, it somehow sailed over the yelling of the nearby crowd. "Will you come forward please?"

He waved to the ticket winners, his violet eyes twinkling as he beckoned them forward. "Bring your parents with you and show me your Golden Tickets before telling me your name. Who's first now?"

The first ticket winner had pushed her way to the front of the group, her parents aiding her along the way. She was dressed in a fine furs, her brown hair falling softly about her angelic face. She looked to be a very spoiled child. "My name is Veruca Salt."

Mr. Wonka smiled at the young girl as he reached out to take her ticket, though a thoughtful look appeared in his violet eyes. "My _dear_ Veruca! How _do _you do? What a pleasure this is! I always thought a veruca was a sort of wart that you got on the sole of your foot!" He didn't seem to notice that the smile had disappeared from the young girl's face at that comment, her eyes were glaring daggers at the man as he continued on his commentary. "I must be wrong, though, mustn't I? How pretty you look in your fine mink coat ! I'm so glad you could come!" He beckoned the girl along as he took her ticket and reached out to shake the hand of the man who followed after her. "This must be your father? How _are_ you Mr. Salt? And Mrs. Salt? Pleasure to meet you _both! _The ticket is _quite_ in order! Please go in!"

As he waved the ticket winner and her parents along, a rather portly young boy stepped forward and presented his own Golden Ticket, his chubby cheeks rather pink from the cold. "I'm Augustus Gloop!" The young boy said, his accent giving away that he fared from a country beyond England's own borders.

"Augustus!" Mr. Wonka took the young boy's chubby hand and shook it furiously. 'How _good _to meet you, young sir! In such a fine shape as well!" He had released the boy's hand and gave a slight pat to his stomach before waving him further into the factory. "And _these_ must be your parents? How nice! Come in, come in!" He waved the rather large figures of the boy's parents along, his violet eyes already moving to the next ticket winner. "Yes, right through the gates!"

The next two children, Mike Teavee and Violet Beauregarde, came forward with their tickets in hand, their parents following behind them. Mr. Wonka examined their tickets and welcomed them quite warmly, waving each child and their parents along. Finally, a very nervous young Charlie stepped forward and presented his Golden Ticket, his chocolate brown eyes never once moving from the face of Willy Wonka. "I-I'm... Charlie Bucket," said Charlie, his voice coming out in a gentle whisper as Mr. Wonka took his ticket and examined it.

"Charlie!" cried Mr. Wonka, his violet eyes taking on a warmth that seemed to radiate to his very being. He seemed to be especially excited at the presence of Charlie as he slipped the ticket with the others within his plum coat. "Well, well, well! So _there _you are! You're the one who found your ticket only yesterday, aren't you?" He caught the surprised look the young boy's pinched face and the chocolatier was quick to cover up the little mistake he had made. "Oh yes, I had read _all _about it in this morning's papers! You're _just _in time!"

Mr. Wonka turned his attention to the rather tall and skinny old man that held onto the young boy's hand, who had an excited look on his wrinkled face. "And this is your grandfather? Grandpa Joe?" He took the old man's hand after the introductions were made and pumped it furiously. "Delight to meet you sir! Overjoyed!" He finally released the old man's hand and turned his attention to the woman that stood with them, his violet eyes not quite catching the look of pure shock on her face. "And this must be your mother!"

Charlie quickly caught Mr. Wonka's mistake and moved over to take the woman's hand in his own. "No, Mr. Wonka, my mother couldn't come. This is my cousin, Verity." He smiled happily as he looked up at his cousin, not noticing that Verity was looking particularly pale for some reason. "It's thanks to her that I found the Golden Ticket."

Mr. Wonka didn't seem to be aware of little Charlie, in fact he seemed to not notice any of the other ticket winners or their family members nor of the large, screaming crowd outside of his gates. His violet eyes were locked on the face of little Charlie's cousin and his rather cheerful manner had suddenly vanished. He looked surprised and unsure... Charlie glanced between the two of them, not understanding the sudden silence.

"Verity..." Mr. Wonka seemed stunned, hesitating for just a moment before he reached out to take her hand in his gloved one. "A pleasure... truly..." His face didn't reflect that statement, he looked more shocked then anything else.

Verity didn't look pale now, in fact there were two red patches forming beneath her cheeks that were definitely not a blush. She shook his hand in turn though, her hazel eyes were sparking with confused anger. "Likewise..."

Grandpa Joe, on the other hand, quickly saw the recognition that passed between the man and woman and sensed the uneasiness that crackled between them. Ignoring the strangeness, he was quick to take charge of the situation. "Mr. Wonka, is the Golden Ticket all right? Charlie can come in, right?"

"What?" Mr. Wonka glanced at the old man and, after realization dawned across his pale features, he nodded quickly and released Verity's hand. "Oh, yes! Of course it is!" He quickly turned away from the family and walked on ahead of the large group, keeping a firm hand on the brim of his plum top hat. "Is everybody here now? Five children?" He glanced over the crowd of children and adults, his violet eyes taking count. They quickly found young Charlie's cousin, standing along the rear of the group. Her hazel eyes were right on him and that anger was unmistakeable. He looked away and turned his back to her, though he could feel her gaze still upon him.

"Five children! Yes, here we go! Now, please follow me! Our tour is about to begin!" He led the way toward the large factory, his cane thumping along with his footsteps as they came upon two grand, gray doors. "Please, _keep _together! Do _not_ wander off by yourselves! I shouldn't like to lose any of you at this stage of the proceedings!"

Charlie glanced over his shoulder to catch the large gates shutting closed behind them, again with no one there to push them closed. He wondered if the gates were on a high tech device that allowed them to open and shut on command... He didn't see the look of anger on his cousin's face nor the look of worry on his grandfather's as the old man studied his cousin. They continued to follow the group as they passed the large doors and entered into a rather warm entrance hall.

"Here we are!" cried Mr. Wonka as he continued ahead of the group and turned around to face them. Everyone was beginning to shed their outer garments though Mr. Wonka didn't seem the least bit bothered by the heat. He simply smiled as he waved his cane in a flourish. "Just drop your coats and hats anywhere! They'll be cared for, I promise you. It's nice and warm in here!"

"Why is that Mr. Wonka?" Mr. Teavee was quick to ask as he began to pull at the collar of his shirt, he was beginning to sweat.

"Hmm?" Mr. Wonka glanced at the man, his violet eyes quickly moving from a particular head of copper hair. He had been watching the woman as she helped Grandpa Joe with the old man's coat and a curious look of longing had been playing on his pale face. He blinked before the question finally registered and his eyes lit up. "Oh, I have to keep it warm for my workers! They are used to an _extremely_ hot climate and they can't stand the cold. If they went outdoors in this weather, they would freeze to _death!_"

"Who _are_ these workers?" asked Augustus Gloop, his chubby cheeks now pink from the heat rather than the cold.

"All in good time, my dear boy!" Mr. Wonka tactfully ignored the question as he turned on his heel and continued on toward a large corridor. The walls of the large corridor were done in a pale pink and the light was pleasant and soft. "You shall see everything as we go along!"

"It's so warm in here Grandpa..." Charlie was enjoying the extreme heat, his skinny limbs taking in the rush of warmth with gratitude.

"I know," said Grandpa Joe, a gentle smile playing on his wrinkled face. "It smells wonderful too..." He took in a huge whiff for good measure, taking in the many different scents. All the most wonderful smells in the world seemed to be floating in this main corridor and even Verity had to admit it was like nothing else she could imagine. The smell of roasting coffee, burnt sugar, melting chocolate, mints, violets, crushed hazelnuts, apple blossom, caramel, lemons...

Her own candy shop never had this many scents in it at one time and she forgot her anger for a moment, her own love of candy making taking over as she sorted through each scent. She was trying to figure out what sort of candy apple blossoms could be used for when Mr. Wonka's voice sailed over the group. "Now this is the main corridor that connects to every other corridor in this factory! Keep close now and no dawdling! It wouldn't do to lose any of you while the tour has just begun!"

The large group of adults and children followed after the swift figure of Mr. Wonka as he made his way up the main corridor. He took a right to a slightly smaller corridor, then left... then left again... then right... then left... then right... another right... then a left...

This place was so gigantic that even Verity was having a hard time keeping track of how many corridors they had passed. This place had to rival that of Hogwarts with this many corridors and she had prided herself in knowing her way around that maze of a castle. She had the distinct feeling that they were moving down underground with each corridor they turned on. The slight slope of each hallway gave a definite distinction of that...

"Don't let go of my hand, Charlie," whispered Grandpa Joe as they followed along with the others. He had glanced at Verity to make sure she was close with them and saw that her gaze was continuously ahead of them. She didn't seem as worried in the amount of corridors they had passed, she seemed to be interested in the strange man that was currently leading this rather large tour. The old man couldn't help but wonder how it was that his niece-in-law knew the infamous chocolatier and how it was that he knew her. There was no mistaking that look between them...

"All of the most important rooms in my factory are deep below the surface!" called Mr. Wonka, catching everyone's attention as he continued his hurried manner.

"Why is that?" a voice called from the crowd, from exactly who was hard to determine.

Mr. Wonka didn't glance back at the crowd as he continued on his way through the corridor though everyone knew that his attention was firmly upon them. "There wouldn't be _nearly_ enough space for them on the surface!" He answered, taking a right onto another corridor with barely a glance at the group. "These rooms we are going to see are _enormous_! They're larger than football fields and no building in the _world_ would be big enough to house them." He finally glanced back at them, the excited look from before appearing on his pale face. "However, underneath the ground, I've got _all _the space I need and there's no true limit. All I have to do is dig here and there..."

The corridors were becoming more obvious in their sloping, their downhill motion becoming a little tough on the ladies who had decided to wear heels. Mr. Wonka continued to turn right, left and then right again... Then suddenly, he stopped. In front of the large group was a shiny metal door that read:

**THE CHOCOLATE ROOM**

"This is a very important room," said Mr. Wonka as he pulled a large ring of keys from the pocket of his tailored, plum coat. "This is the nerve center of the entire factory, of the _whole_ business!" He placed the key in the lock and seemed quite keen in taking his time in jiggling with it. "This room is the most beautiful of my rooms. It is my most prized possession so I must _insist_ that you be careful." He turned the key and the lock disengaged with a satisfying series of clicks. "Don't lose your heads! Don't get overexcited! You must keep _very _calm!" He pulled the key out of the lock and placed the ring of them back in his pocket. He placed a plum colored glove against the shiny, metal door and pushed it open.

There, before their very eyes, was the most amazing sight that any person, wizard or muggle, had _ever _seen...


	10. Chapter 10

(A/n) Thank you for the reviews, alerts and favorites. I'm happy y'all enjoy the story so much. Sorry for lack of updates, have very little time to write these days.

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They were looking down upon a valley. There were green meadows on either side of the valley and along the bottom of it there flowed a great brown river. What is more, there was a tremendous waterfall halfway along the river- a steep cliff over which the water curled and rolled in a solid sheet, and then went crashing down into a boiling churning whirlpool of froth and spray.

Below the waterfall, a whole mass of enormous glass pipes were dangling down into the river from somewhere high up in the ceiling of this underground vault. There must have been a dozen of them and they were sucking up the brown water from the river and carrying it off to somewhere only Mr. Wonka knew. All round the edges of the river, where the glass pipes continued to suck away, graceful trees and bushes grew- weeping willows and alders, tall clumps of rhododendrons with their pink and mauve blossoms. In the meadows there were thousands of buttercups. It was a very beautiful sight.

The moment the group crossed the threshold and into the Chocolate Room, the hum of magic that floated about the place twanged the very nerve endings of Verity's body. A small gasp escaped as her steps faltered, her hazel eyes growing wide as the force behind the myriad of spells nearly overtook her. There were only a few that she recognized, all the rest were of some unknown enchantments that must have been of Mr. Wonka's doing. She took the moment to remain by the door, the hum of the strange magic setting off her defensive mechanisms. She folded her arms beneath her breasts, the tips of her fingers hovering above the pocket where her wand was within reach.

Mr. Wonka strolled ahead of the group, not noticing the witch as his golden capped cane swung lazily from his gloved hand. He pointed his cane toward the waterfall, the twinkling in his violet eyes growing. "_That_ my friends, is all chocolate. Every drop of that river is hot melted chocolate of the finest quality. There's enough chocolate in there to fill every bathtub and swimming pool in the _entire_ country. Those pipes you see vacuum up thousands of gallons an hour." No response came from the group of children and adults, everyone was simply too stunned at the sight that lay before them.

"The waterfall is most important," Mr. Wonka went on, "It _mixes_ the chocolate! Churns it up! Makes it light and frothy! No other factory in the _world _mixes their chocolate by waterfall. It is the _only _way to get the chocolate _just _right." At this he held up his free hand, making a gesture with his thumb and index finger so that it looked as if he were about to pinch something. He turned around to face the group, his winning smile growing as his violet eyes swept over them. "Isn't it an amazing sight? This entire valley is eatable. Every tree, every flower, every blade of grass can be eaten." His eyes landed on the stationary form of Verity, who stood apart from the group. The tense look on her face was a clear indication that she could feel the magic here and his smile dimmed slightly. "I suppose you wouldn't take my word for it though..." He thumped his cane down onto the soft, edible green grass and gave a slight bow. "Go on then, enjoy."

It took only a moment but all nine adults and five children were rushing past Mr. Wonka and down toward the valley. They spread out amongst the trees and bushes, sampling everything to be sure it was truly edible. Mr. Wonka kept his violet gaze on the lone witch, his grip on his cane firm. They stared at one another before Mr. Wonka walked slowly toward young Charlie's cousin. Verity's hand had reached down to grab the handle of her wand, her hazel eyes throwing a warning. At this, Mr. Wonka paused though he kept his gaze locked with hers. Silence hung between them, tense and thick, only broken by the sound of laughter from the muggles down by the chocolate river.

"The magic in this room is harmless," said Mr. Wonka, his violet eyes sweeping over the face of the woman who had haunted his thoughts for hours. "They are spells needed to sustain the plants in this room, to keep the river flowing..."

She didn't respond but the flicker of doubt was not missed on the chocolatier. He allowed a gentle smile to touch his lips as he started walking closer to her, noting the unease and soft hitching of her breath. He didn't like the sight of it, he wanted to see the sparkle of affection in those hazel depths, not mistrust. He continued to walk to her until he was but a foot from her and he leaned down toward her ear. "I had no idea you would be here Verity... This is as much of a surprise to me as it is to you..." His whisper was soft, his gentle voice bringing up a pleasant shiver.

She backed away from him, her eyes growing wide as she looked at him. They swept over his face and the shocked look gave way to the anger he had seen before. "I have no idea what games you are playing Bill and I don't want to know. You never told me who you were or what you did so yes, I am surprised." Her frown deepened as she walked around him, her body shivering at the feel of the strong magic about the place. "I find it hard to believe that _you_ would be surprised when I had been honest with you about myself and my family." She turned to look at him and the pure loathing that touched her face took Mr. Wonka by surprise. "I don't care what you have planned on this little 'tour' of yours but so help me, if _anything_ harms my uncle or my cousin, if anything _obvious_ appears to these other muggles, I _will_ have the Ministry on your head." She continued seething at the chocolatier before turning on her heel and walking off to find her family, leaving a stunned Bill behind.

He hadn't been expecting that either... The affection he was so used to seeing on her face had been the light of his days for weeks now. All of sudden, thanks to some odd quirk of fate, it was all dashed to pieces. He knew she had been angry but the complete loathing she had given him... It hurt him more than he would like to admit. He knew she was very protective of her muggle family but he honestly had not known the Buckets were that family. She never mentioned them by name and he respected her too much to snoop behind her back. His frown was deep as her threat sank in... Yes, having a large group of muggles running about his magical chocolate factory would be cause for concern. Thankfully, this tour had been planned way in advance with all of the necessary precaution and the profits that rolled in from the muggle world kept the Ministry happy. The threat of the Ministry was not one he was concerned about. What he _was_ concerned about was the fact that the woman he had become exceedingly fond of now wanted nothing to do with him. He hoped he still had a chance at winning her completely.

She knew who he was now, he could be fully honest with her, fully honest with why he had decided to reopen his factory doors to the muggle world after so many years. The thought brightened him considerably as he caught sight of her with Grandpa Joe and Charlie. The hesitant curiosity and awe on her beautiful features struck a cord with him as she delicately ate the petal of a buttercup. Despite this slight hiccup, he knew the passion and unmistakable knack she had for candy making. He knew that the best way to woo her would be to share with her his life's work. If anyone could understand him, Verity was sure to. The fact that young Charlie's ticket had been the strongest of the five in untapped magic was now no longer a surprise. It was in his blood, this passion for magical candy. His cousin was living proof of that.

Feeling much more joyous at the thought of what the day would surely bring, Mr. Willy 'Bill' Wonka strolled down the field of edible green grass to join the rest of the large group. His violet eyes remained on the witch, the warm feeling that filled his heart now rivaling that of his passion for candy making.

.

"Isn't it wonderful?" whispered Charlie. "Hasn't it got a wonderful taste Vee?" He turned his attention to his cousin, who was currently contemplating whether to try a branch of a nearby tree that smelled of dark chocolate. Verity glanced down at her cousin and smiled in reply, giving a firm nod . The grass was very delicate and it melted the moment it was placed on your tongue. It was eerie when the moment you plucked the grass that more suddenly grew to cover the empty spot. No one seemed to notice this but the witch and she had to admit that the magic that flowed through the ground was incredible. She reached out to ruffle Charlie's dark brown hair and he laughed before quickly running off to join the other children to try the plants by the chocolate river. Verity smiled after her young cousin, rather glad that he was enjoying himself. She sighed gently and turned her attention back to the broken branch, debating whether or not she should see if it tasted like chocolate...

"You should try another buttercup," said a soft voice behind her and she instantly froze. She could hear his footsteps as he walked closer to her, could sense his gaze on her as he stopped just a foot behind her. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as he leaned in close, his lips just a breath away from her ear. "They taste so much nicer than that branch..."

She shivered, automatically hating her body's reaction to him. She hated that she still felt the same attraction for him, hated the fact that he was the infamous Willy Wonka. He had been better when he was just plain old Bill. Sure she didn't know him well but that was the wizard she trusted. With this new revelation of him being the chocolate maker known all over the muggle world, that trust she had quickly shattered. How was she to know he would be Willy Wonka? Had he been toying with her all these weeks? Was he so bored with his life? She had no idea what to think of him, she simply didn't know him...

Her thoughts were brought to a screeching halt as she felt a featherlight kiss against the side of her neck. She gasped softly but she quickly saw that it was nothing more than a buttercup he had brushed against her skin. He was still close behind her and the tension between the two of them was palpable. He brushed the petals of the candy flower against her flushed cheek, a gentle intake of breath her only reaction.

"Don't think that we've had these last several weeks was a lie Verity." He brushed the flower down along her jawline and she trembled, all semblance of normal thought functions were completely thrown from her mind. "You have been such a wonderful surprise... I intend to win that prize, no matter what it takes." He tucked the flower behind her ear, his fingers lingering over her copper hair, before he moved on to where his guests were lingering about the banks of the chocolate river.

She stood there, her chest heaving slightly as she stared after Mr. Wonka, her hazel eyes were slightly wide with disbelief. What had that been about? Surely he didn't mean what he said... She had been a surprise? What could he have meant...?

Verity would have continued along with these thoughts if the sudden screams had not made her jump. She glanced over to the banks of the river where everyone else stood, catching that the excited screams were coming from one Veruca Salt. She was pointing frantically on the other side of the river, her brown curls bouncing along with her as she pulled on her father's sleeve. "Look Daddy! _Look!_Over there! What _is _it? He's moving! He's _walking!_ It's a little _person! _It's a little man! Down there below the waterfall!"

Verity's interest peaked at the description of the little person the young girl was screaming about. Surely Bill- no, Wonka- would not have magical creatures working in his factory? Not with muggles about at least. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she made her way to stand with the others, catching Charlie's excited voice from the front of the group. "_She's right Grandpa! _It _is _a little man!"

"I see him Charlie!" Grandpa Joe said in such an excited manner, his glasses slipping down his long nose. He kept a firm bony hand on his grandson while they looked on, watching the little man as he went about his business. By this time, everyone else was shouting in an excited manner over the little person, pointing with various looks of awe and confusion on their faces.

Verity made her way to the front of the group where her family stood, catching sight of five little creatures that stood no higher than her knee. She had no idea what her family nor what the other muggles were seeing but Verity could clearly sense that the creatures had thick glamour spells about them. She could see them for what they were and they were nothing at all like what the muggles were describing. They were actually house elves that were dressed in identical elegant, violet towels that were wrapped like togas around their small bodies while large pins in the shape of an intricate and curly 'W' held the towels in place. The five house elves had stopped whatever it was they were doing and were now standing on the opposite banks of the chocolate river. They were staring and openly laughing at the muggles that were staring at them in turn. One of the house elves had pointed a long and spindly arm toward the five children and whispered something to the others. They erupted into peals of laughter then, their pointed bat-like ears flopping as they fell against one another.

"But they can't be _real_ people," said Charlie, a confused look settling across his young face as he stared at the creatures. Verity looked down at her cousin and she noticed the look of concentration on his face. Could he sense that something was not quite right about those creatures?

"Of course they're real people," answered Mr. Wonka from directly behind Verity, who had jumped in surprise at the sudden sound of his voice. She turned to glare at him and was about to open her mouth to give him a talking to in regards to personal space but stopped short at the look on his face. He flicked his violet eyes her way and she could practically see the sparkle of amusement that appeared within them as a delighted smile grew on his handsome, pale features. "They're Oompa-Loompas."

She choked on air, she had to have choked on air, because she had inhaled and then started coughing violently after the statement Mr. Wonka had made. The absurdity of such a name for little people, even by wizarding standards, when they were simply house elves under strong glamour charms. She felt Grandpa Joe's large hand slapping her across the back while the cries of the others rose up in echoes of the house elves' new name.

"_Oompa-Loompas!"_

"Imported directly from Loompaland!" said Mr. Wonka in a proud manner, his violet eyes focusing on Verity, who's coughing fit had finally subsided. She was staring at him, her hazel eyes wide with disbelief. Oh, he was well aware that she could see past the charms he had placed on his house elves but she would not say anything about it. It was hilarious to see the surprised look on her face and the moment he stated the land from which his creatures had come from, her surprised look gave way to a twitch of her lips. His heart soared at the sight of it, she was holding back laughter! That was a step in the right direction.

"There is no such place!"

The voice that spoke broke Mr. Wonka's gaze from the enchanting sight of his witch and he looked at Mrs. Salt. "Excuse me, dear lady, but-"

"_Mr. Wonka!"_ cried Mrs. Salt, her voice a shrill sound that grated on the nerves of those who stood beside her, mainly her husband. "_I _am a teacher of geography-"

"Then you'll know all about it," said Mr. Wonka, interrupting in a much more charming manner than she had. "Oh, what a horrible country it is!" He shuddered in response, adding to the effect as he went on to describe the thick, steamy jungles of Loopaland that were filled with all manners of dangerous beasts. Beasts with names such as hornswogglers and snozzwangers and those terrible Vermicious Knids that gave the life of the Oompa-Loompas such grief. He had been away in search of new and exotic tastes for his candies when he came upon the little people. He had felt so sorry for them that he invited them back to his factory to live in peace, he would pay them in whatever they chose. It so happened that the Oompa-Loompas loved the cocoa bean and when he had told their chief that he had more than enough for the entire village, they had accepted his offer. He had them transported secretly into the country by methods he felt were best left up to the imagination.

By the end of this tale, he noticed that Verity was the only one who wasn't completely engrossed by his story. She was the only one trying her best to keep a straight face. She was biting on her lower lip to keep from making a sound, her hazel eyes sparkling from amusement. He put on an affronted look, the thought that she did not find his tale of selfless heroism as engrossing as the others a tad disappointing. Of course, the fact that his tale was complete hogwash did not help in matters. He could not help but feel the bubble of warmth in his heart at the fact that she was looking at him with laughter in her eyes. Yes, this was a good step back in the right path to wooing her. She would see that he was still the same person she had known save for the fact that she now knew his true identity, which was a relief to him...

"Well, as you can see they are all wonderful workers." Mr. Wonka continued his story with some reluctance, his heart beating a little too hard at the fact that Verity was now smiling. "They all speak English now. They all love to dance and sing and make up all kinds of songs when the mood strikes them. I expect you will hear a bit of singing today from time to time." He paused and turned to move his gaze over his guests, the playful smile growing as he held up a finger. "I must warn you though, they are rather mischievous. They do like to make jokes..."

"_Daddy!_" cried Veruca Salt, pulling earnestly on her father's sleeve once again as she whined. "_Daddy!_ I want an Oompa-Loompa! I want you to get me an Oompa-Loompa right away! I want to take it home with me! Go on Daddy! Get me an Oompa-Loompa!"

"Not now my pet!" her father said to her, patting her head with affectionate swap of his hand. "We mustn't interrupt Mr. Wonka."

"_But I want an Oompa-Loompa now!"_

Verity actually cringed at the shrill whine that erupted from the muggle girl and she frowned at the father, who was gently hushing her with promises of getting one for her before the day was out.

_Sure he would... Good luck with that. _Verity thought to herself as she rolled her eyes and shook her head. Spoiled rotten that one was... What in the world was Bill thinking when he sent out those tickets? Giving a tour of his factory to this lot would have been a nightmare come true for her. Save for her own cousin of course, he was just such a sweet and mild mannered child it would have been hard to say no to him. Of course, she was biased when it came to her little Charlie...

"You shouldn't think so hard Verity... One might assume you were plotting something in that pretty head of yours..."

The blush rose up in her cheeks before she could stop it and she frowned at once, cursing her body's reaction to the handsome wizard. She didn't answer him, not trusting herself to speak. Instead, she turned her head slightly to glare at him as she folded her arms beneath her breasts. She allowed herself a moment to calm down before trusting herself to speak. "It's a little hard not to think after such a story as the one you gave..." She narrowed her eyes a bit as she studied Mr. Wonka, ignoring the feel of her skipping heart beat. "Honestly... snozzwangers?"

He smiled that charming smile of his, his violet eyes twinkling with such amusement that she felt her annoyance drop a fraction. _Damn the man and his charming visage..._

"Why my dearest Verity, surely you can appreciate my tale more than anyone else here." He had taken a step closer to her, his gaze lingering upon her lips as the tension from before crackled between the two of them. He leaned in a little, looking almost as if he were about to kiss her. "You can appreciate the absurdity of such a tale since there is no possible way for a muggle to refute such a claim after seeing the little people with their own eyes." He had whispered this to her, his breath fanning gently against her flushed cheek.

_Damn him... Have to stay mad..._

He seemed to notice that her anger from earlier had apparently lost its steam and his smile grew at this, his violet eyes focusing on her hazel ones. She lost all train of thought, her heart had begun in a skipping beat against her chest. The sight and sounds of the others had fallen away and all she could focus on was that his lips were so close to her own...

"_Augustus!_" shouted Mrs. Gloop, her heavily accented voice filled with alarm. It effectively broke through the thick haze of attraction that had kept the wizard and witch so intent on one another."Augustus, sweetheart, I don't think you should do that!"

Mr. Wonka's eyes remained on Verity's but she noticed that he had gone completely still, his chest rising and falling as he took in a deep breath. She could see the tension in his face and she could have sworn she had heard a muttered curse emerge from his lips as he turned around. She followed his gaze and noticed quickly that the Gloop boy was kneeled down at the edge of the chocolate river. He was scooping handfuls of hot, melted chocolate into his mouth as quickly as he could.

The muttered curse from before emerged from Mr. Wonka but more noticeably as he clenched his hands, the gloves making a squeaking noise in complaint.

_Uh oh... This can't be good. Bill does not look happy..._


End file.
